Change in the 'inside' leads to change in the 'outside'

2 Corinthians 4:16b: Yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.

'Being renewed' here is 'anakainoo' in Greek. It actually means 'being renovated', i.e tearing down the old, and building up the new (likened to having a house renovated). So, 2 Corinthians 4:16 actually means 'your inward man is being renovated day by day'.

Beloved, as you allow yourself to be 'renovated' by the Lord, that's when you grow spiritually. To 'grow spiritually' is to grow to be more & more like Jesus. When you grow in the 'inside' (inner man), or in character (to be more & more like Jesus'), you'll see growth in your outside (i.e your career, business, ministry, etc). In other words, the change in your 'inside' is in direct proportion to the change in your 'outside'!

One such example of 'spiritual growth' can be found in Joseph's life (Genesis 37). Joseph was meant to have a great destiny. However, he needed to be 'renovated' first in the 'inside' before God could use him in a significant way.

In Genesis 37:5-8, Joseph had a dream about his brothers bowing before him. However, it wasn't time yet for it to be fulfilled. So, when he told his brothers about the dream, they ended up hating him more. Even before that, Joseph was known to bring ‘bad report’ and 'gossip' about his brothers to their father. So, instead of being 'promoted' according to the dream, he ended up being sold as slave in Egypt (Genesis 37:36), and life went further downhill when he was imprisoned (Genesis 39:20).

However, through the years, something did change in the 'inside' of Joseph. From a 'gossiper' who brought 'bad report' (Genesis 37:2), he became someone who showed 'care & concern' for others (Genesis 40:6-7). It's a sign of spiritual growth, and this was also the beginning of a change in the 'outside' for Joseph! When the chief butler was thrown into prison for offending the king, Joseph showed him genuine care by asking, "Why do you look so sad today?" It's like saying, "Are you okay? Is there anything I can help you?" This act of kindness did open the chief butler's heart, who had a dream but didn't know its interpretation. So, he shared the dream to Joseph who then helped him interpret. The dream did come to pass as Joseph had interpreted, and the chief butler was restored back to his position by the king (Genesis 40:21).

Two years later, Joseph's moment of 'promotion' came. When the king had a dream and nobody could interpret it, the chief butler remembered Joseph, and he told the king what happened two years ago in the prison (Genesis 41:12), and how Joseph interpreted his dream correctly. Upon hearing that, the king sent for Joseph (Genesis 41:14), and was pleased with Joseph's interpretation & advice (Genesis 41:37). That's how Joseph was 'elevated' to be the prime minister of Egypt, second only to the king!

You see, the change in the 'inside' of Joseph eventually led to the change in his 'outside'. From a slave & prisoner, Joseph rose to become a prime minister, and just as in the dream he received, his brothers did come (to Egypt) bowing before him for food supply in a time of famine! (Genesis 42:6)

Knowing & walking into your time and season

1 Chronicles 12:32a: Of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do..

The word 'Issachar' in Hebrew means ‘he will bring a reward’. The sons of Issachar were people of revelation. They knew the timing and season of the Lord well, and they knew what Israel ought to do in that particular time and season. I believe this is also the reward for those who seek Him today. When you seek Him, you'll receive His revelation, and therefore, you'll know the timing and season in your life as well!

It's no coincident why this verse in 1 Chronicles 12:32 was written just before King David decided to bring the ark of the covenant (symbolizing God's glory & God's leadership in battle) back to Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 13:3). That was actually the 'kairos' time for the ark to be brought back!

There are two ways to see 'time' in Greek. One is 'kronos'. The other is 'kairos'. 'Kronos' time is linear and fixed, where the English word 'chronology' came from. It's going through day by day according to chronological calendar. So, after passing point 'A' and moving to point 'B', one can never return back to point A (i.e can’t turn back time). However, God is above 'kronos' time. God sees the end from the beginning. I see you entering your 'kairos' time (meaning either ‘opportune time' or 'in due season’) in your life, just as David entered the 'kairos' time to bring back the ark! David did not miss his timing and season, and as a result, Israel was never the same again! God even made a covenant with David after that (1 Chronicles 17:14), to establish him in His house and in His kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever.

What if you thought you've missed/messed up your past? There's good news for you! God can redeem your time! ‘Redeem’ means ‘buy back time’. You see, God moves not in a linear or fixed way. He is above time. He is outside time. He is beyond time. So, it's never too late for you! To God, one day is as a thousand years (2 Peter 3:8). What takes a thousand years for human to achieve, God can do it within only one day! He can 'buy back' your time and then accelerate you into His destiny for your life!

"Pastor, how then can I move into my 'kairos' time?" Take time to listen to Him (& His revelation). He is your Revelator. He's always here, and He's always willing to speak to you. Revelation is like your tv screen (you receive, see, and hear). But you need an 'antenna', a working one & a well-tuned one, to receive. The 'antenna' is like your spirit. The wave/frequency can always be around the tv, but it takes your ‘antenna’ to be in tune in order to receive.

How? Stop getting 'distracted' (Luke 10:40-42). The word 'distraction' in Luke 10:40 actually means ‘dragging around & around’, like a dog chasing its tails. It symbolizes the ‘old cycles’ in your life. God wants to break your ‘old cycles’ of distraction, so you can enter into the new! People of God, it's time to 'sit down & be still' for a moment, and feed/receive from Him (like Mary). Take time to worship, feed from the Word, and go deeper in prayer. Jehoshaphat did just that (and he called a fast) when he found out that his enemies were too overwhelming for his nation Judah (2 Chronicles 20:3). It's no wonder why Jehoshaphat received specific revelation from the Lord (2 Chronicles 20:17, 20-22), and Judah won easily against its enemies!

Praise the Lord!

Psalm 150:1: Praise the Lord!

Psalm 150:6 says, ‘let everything that has breath praise the Lord’. This verse is the conclusion of the whole book of Psalm. And the word ‘breath’ here is ‘nshammah’ in Hebrew, which includes all living things that have breath, including animals, not just we humans!

Now, what does the word ‘psalm’ mean? In Hebrew, this word is ‘mizmowr’, which means ‘give praise, to make music, or to celebrate in songs and music’. That’s what the book of Psalm is about!

The word ‘praise’ here in Hebrew is ‘hawlal’, which means ‘to shine, to make a show, to boast (about Him), to celebrate, or to give glory (to Him)’.

The Lord in Hebrew is ‘YHWH’, the utmost, holy name of God Almighty, the possessor of heaven and earth (Genesis 14:19), the ‘I Am Who I Am’ (Exodus 3:14), the God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob, the covenant God of Israel. That’s what ‘Hallelu Yah’ means - ‘praise the Lord (YHWH)’! ‘Yah’ is the short form of the name of the Lord (YHWH).

When you praise the Lord, you are actually 'shining' in (& for) the Lord! That's what 'hawlal' means! Your gloominess will definitely be lifted away, and be replaced with the shining light of the Lord! Have you seen flowers respond and blossom when the sun rises in the morning? That’s exactly how you’d be when you praise YHWH (shine in Him, and shine for Him)!

So, whatever your circumstance may be at the moment, begin praising Him now! Read how the psalmist praise YHWH in Psalm 148, Psalm 149, and Psalm 150. Every gloom that’s in you (or surrounding you) will turn to shine! My friend, this is the power of praise! So the next time you are in the midst of ‘gloominess’, or the atmosphere around you seems ‘gloomy’ or ‘oppressive’, begin to ‘Hallelujah’! Begin to sing praises to the Lord! The psalmist wrote in Psalm 119:164 to ‘praise Him seven times a day’! Now, ‘seven’ is the ‘perfect’ number in Jewish numeric. It simply means ‘let the praises of the Lord fill (saturate) you, and shine out from you throughout the day’! You’ll be glad you did, because every ‘gloominess’ will simply have to give way as the ‘light’ shines forth from you (every time you praise)! So if you have nothing better to say, why not start ‘praising the Lord’ now?