FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE

Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love (1 Corin.13:13, NLT).

God loves us. Without God’s love, there is no faith; there is no hope. And without His love, our relationship and faith in Him is naught. Because God says He Himself is love (1 Jn.4:9), without the existence of God, we can’t have faith in Him and how then can we hope in Him? For this reason, without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb.11:6). Faith is the basis of our foundation in Christ. Hebrews 11:6 writes that anyone who comes to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. When you have faith in God, you believe and acknowledge His existence in your life, you also believe that He loves you with an everlasting love, because He is love. Here, God teaches us that in Him, faith and love goes hand-in-hand. Remember God also says that without faith it is impossible to please Him and He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. God takes delight in those who seek Him with all their hearts. What reward does God promise? From Matthew 5:11 and Jeremiah 29:13-14, when our hearts are pure and we seek Him wholeheartedly, He reveals Himself to us that we may know Him better. The Greek meaning of ‘knowing God’ is to know Him experientially. To ‘see God’ in Matthew 5:11 has the same meaning – to know God experientially. This builds up our faith in Him. Our faith is built on two levels: first is the Biblical knowledge of God (His Word) and second is our spiritual experience and encounters with God. The journey of our faith is both rational and emotional – this is the nature of our God. God has wisdom beyond understanding and His love for us through Jesus Christ shows that our God has feelings and emotions too! Now where does hope come in? Hebrews 11:1 writes that faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. There is hope in Christ Jesus because He lives, and because He lives, we can have eternal life with God (Jn.3:16). This is our hope in God, our confidence of God’s goodness in the land of the living (Ps. 27:13), which is eternity with our King! And now we know that in Christ, faith, hope and love are inseparable and they remain.

Many of us question what is faith? And some of us find it hard to always have faith in God. The minute our problems come in like the waves, they hit us and we feel feeble and weak and doubts begin to sink in. Well I’ve got good news for us! God promises us in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 that His grace will sustain us and He will make us stronger in our weakness. It’s alright to be weak in God’s presence, in fact, when we are weak, then we are strong. I have to emphasize though that this weakness in God is not coming into God’s presence in defeat. On the contrary, because we are humans, we are weak, and so we learn to cling upon and revel in God’s promises. This is faith! And this is when God’s power bursts out from your life!

The Lord showed me different dimensions of faith as He led me to Hebrews 11:

1.       To fear the Lord is to have faith in God; to have faith in God is to fear the Lord

Faith is being sure of what we hope for (v1), and that is being confident of God’s goodness in the land of the living (Ps27:13). “How great is Your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear You” (Ps31:19). The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and God Himself gives us wisdom and understanding. As in Proverbs 2, we must accept and store up God’s commands and words in us and ask the Lord for His wisdom in our daily lives. In every circumstance that you’re in, have faith in God, just trust and believe that He will make all things new. You’ve got to be sure and be confident that God has stored up so much goodness in eternity and that is when we return to be with Jesus forever! That is the reward and the amazing promise God has for us at the end of the race. Faith in God can be described as our faithfulness to Him. When we remain faithful to God in all we do and say, He protects our ways (Prov2:8, Heb.11:7). 

The devil can’t harm us, our problems can’t drown us, people can’t bring us down, unless we allow them to, unless we make a decision in your heart saying, “God I give up, there is no hope in You. I don’t want to trust You. I don’t want to have faith in You. I don’t feel like You love me anymore. I don’t want to walk in Your ways any longer, I’m gonna do my own thing, walk my own path and be the lord of my own life.” This isn’t the faith that pleases God, this isn’t the faith that the ancients were commended for. Rather, give your life, your all to Jesus. Hold on to Him, hold on to His ways and simply look ahead to the prize that God has prepared heavenward in eternity.

2.       Faith leads to obedience; Obedience reaps greater faith 

Has it ever crossed your mind how one moment Jesus prayed “take this cup from me” and the next he prayed “Yet not what I will, but what You will”? (Mark 14:36)

Jesus was obedient to the Father and He chose to deny himself, take up his cross and follow God’s will for him. Though Jesus knew he would be resurrected and that God had a bigger plan, he was a perfect God and perfect man – he experienced fear as all man would. Yet, Jesus clung on to what is ahead and onto God’s Kingdom plan on earth (which is salvation through Jesus Christ), and this is the faith in God Jesus demonstrated and that we must learn. His faith in every single promise of God and every Word of God was expressed in his obedience to death. And as he obeyed, he had greater faith. This faith in God allowed God’s strength and courage to overpower Jesus’ fear. After Jesus prayed, he became courageous and willed to the Father (John 18:8-11).

When we take up our faith in God, it means that we fix our eyes on Jesus – the author and perfector of our faith (Heb. 12:2). God is love, and His love is perfect. Doesn’t scripture say that perfect love casts out all fear? (1 Jn.4:18) Doesn’t it also say that every word of God is flawless (Ps.18:30)? Since Jesus is the way, the truth and the life (Jn. 14:6), and the word became flesh (Jn.1:14), Jesus is the Word, the way and He is love. And because He is perfect and flawless, when we fix our eyes on Him and hope in Him, we allow His perfect love to break away every fear in our hearts that dampens our faith (Isaiah 40:31). And through this, we have the strength and courage to obey the Lord (Heb. 11:8-10, 17-19, 23,27, 31-38). It’s all about Jesus! 

3.       Faith encompasses righteousness in God

In all we do, whether speech or action, we always have to make a conscious decision to be set apart for God or to conform to the world. Hebrews 11:7 demonstrates that righteousness comes by faith.

Noah and Moses made a choice to be set apart (Heb.11:7, 24-26), hence it was credited to them as righteousness that comes by faith. However, we can’t be made righteous on our own. We are found righteous only through Jesus Christ – the author and perfector of our faith. Hence as we clothe ourselves with the righteousness of Christ, we need to spend time meditating on the word of God that we may know the commands of God (Prov. 2:10-15).

Now, how can we have faith in God?  Faith doesn’t stem from ourselves, rather it comes from revelation given by the Holy Spirit (1 Corin.4:13). We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit and in order to do that we need to ask in Jesus’ Name and receive it by faith. Know that when you pray for something like that, the Holy Spirit is working even if you might not feel the ground shaking or electric currents through your body!

Faith in God means obeying without questions or having to know the full picture (Heb.11:8), it means acknowledging God’s faithfulness (Heb.11:11). It also means being sure of what we hope for at the end of this race (Heb.11:16); it is faith that God can work the impossible, being certain of what we do not see (Heb.11:1,17-19). Finally, faith is a choice. God never promised us that we wouldn’t go through suffering, rather it is through sufferings that we develop hope at the end (Rom.5:3-5). We need to persevere in our sufferings and know that hope doesn’t disappoint us because of God’s love (Heb. 10:36, Rom.5:5).

Got it? Or rather, done it?

The secret to be content in everything

Shalom my dear brothers and sisters. It has been such an amazing journey with the Lord thus far and more than that, I’m extremely excited and delighted to share with you what the Lord taught me in the last few months.

A great man of God once told me, “Coming to God in brokenness and defeat isn’t gonna bring you victory. You gotta learn to revel in His promises.”

You can’t imagine what a great revelation this was to me! I always thought that since Scripture writes that God doesn’t despise a broken and contrite spirit, I was expected to always be broken before God. But no! That’s a lie. It is true that the Lord doesn’t despise our brokenness, yet we musn’t fail to understand that in that brokenness, there musn’t be defeat. Rather, it has to be filled with victory in Christ. Brokenness that delights in the Lord is one that acknowledges Christ’s power; it is brokenness that holds on to God’s promises – “His grace is sufficient for me, for His power is made perfect in weakness” (2Corin.12:9).  

We must first understand what God means in 2 Corinthians 12:9:

1.      His grace is sufficient for us.

Verse 7 writes that it was given to Apostle Paul a thorn in his flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment him. Remember when Jesus was crucified, He too had a crown of thorn on His head that pierced His flesh. And prior to crucifixion He was beaten with whips that had hooks on them – this too resembled what Paul describes. Yes, it is by His stripes that our wounds are healed (Isaiah 53:5).

We often think we need extra grace from the Lord, when really the grace He poured out on the cross is abundant – it is more than enough! It was His death that pinned all our wounds to the cross once and for all and by that, we are healed.

2.   For His power is made perfect in weakness.

The weakness that Paul mentions isn’t one’s weakness or flaw but it is the weakness of man. God knows how weak we are, the fragility of man is depicted in how we were formed – from dust, which can be easily blown away (Psalm 103:14-16). God’s power is made perfect in our weakness because the fact that we are weak makes God strong. His power on the cross is a clear example of this. Jesus came to earth as a man; hence He was weak like anyone of us. His death on the cross displayed the ultimate fragility of mankind, but it is through this fact that God’s power is made perfect – Jesus was resurrected, not with any power he possessed in human body, but in the power of God.

 Therefore Paul says all the more we need to boast of our weaknesses, so that Christ’s power can rest on us (v9). Delight in your weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties, for when you are weak in Christ, then you are strong in Christ (v10).

Jesus, Paul, David and many others recorded in the Bible understood the secret to be content in everything. They went through hard times, which I dare say a million and one times tougher than what we go through today. And this secret is in Colossians 1:

“And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruitful in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.” (Col. 1:10-12)

There are four actions explicitly uncovered in the above Scriptures:

1.      Bearing fruit in every good work.

Good works that are pleasing to the Lord are those prompted with love and produced by faith (1 Thess. 1:3). Love and faith are of paramount importance. God reminds us to do everything in love, anything done without love in God’s eyes is naught (1 Corin.16:14, 1 Corin.13). From love stems joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness faithfulness, gentleness and self-control – the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians5:22), for love never fails (1 Corin.13:8). And without faith, it is impossible to please God (Heb.11:6). Our every work prompted with love must be produced by our faith in God. Only when we believe that He exists, will we understand and produce fruit of love, for God Himself is love (1 Jn.4:8). We must earnestly seek Him in all our work because when we trust in the Lord with all our heart and acknowledge Him in all our ways, we revel in His promise that He will direct our paths (Prov. 3:5-6). 

2.      Growing in the knowledge of God

The key in this is to fear the Lord. For the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov.9:10). We must accept and store up God’s commands, turn our ear to His wisdom and apply our heart to understanding, then will we understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God for He gives wisdom, and from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding (Prov.2:1-6). In order to know His commands, we gotta spend time with Him in studying and meditating on His Word (Ps.1:2), we gotta talk to Him a lot more every time and everywhere (Col.4:2) and we gotta start to listen and 

wait upon Him, just be still to let Him speak (Ps.46:10).

3.      Being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might

As mentioned earlier, we must boast gladly and rejoice in every suffering and pain that we go through that we may experience God’s power and strength made perfect in these situations and in ourselves. When we come before God in brokenness and victory, reveling in His promises, we put our trust and hope in Him. God promises that for those who hope in Him and wait upon Him, they will renew their strength, they will mount up on wings like eagles, they’ll walk and not be weary, run and not be faint (Isaiah40:31). This is how the Lord strengthens us only if we hope and wait upon Him. When we wait for Him in all we’re going through, He will deliver (Prov.20:22). Strengthened by the Lord, we have endurance and patience in all our circumstances. It is our hope in Christ Jesus that inspires the 

endurance in these (1 Thess.1:3).

4.      Joyfully giving thanks to the Father

Joy is given by the Holy Spirit (1 Thess.1:6). Hence, we need to rely on the Holy Spirit to help us joyfully give thanks in our sufferings. When you find it hard to give thanks, make a simple prayer to our Father, “Father, fill me with Your Holy Spirit and joy to give thanks.” The joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehe.8:10). That’s why Paul writes that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Phil.4:13). We can now find strength and joy in the Lord to give thanks in all our circumstances. Our thanksgivings are like burnt offerings presented to the Lord and the aroma that ascends to heaven delights our Father (Article: The power of praise changes things, May 22, 2011). A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit (Prov.15:13).

These are not 4 steps to achieving success in this secret. This is 4 actions you must follow concurrently. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God, whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Col.3:16-17). Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord (Ps.31:24).

Reminder: Coming to God with brokenness and defeat isn’t gonna bring you victory. You gotta revel in His promises.

Got it? Or, rather, done it?

Wisdom

What is wisdom? Our Heavenly Father says that His wisdom is incomparable (1 Corin.1:25). I used to think that God’s wisdom was just about being wise in tough decisions and a gift only pastors and mighty servants of God would have. BUT the Lord was gracious to show me the depth of His wisdom, though incomparable, can be received. In fact, it is the desire of His heart that we would all live by His wisdom.

King Solomon was the wisest of all man (1 Kings 3:12, 4:30). God gave him measureless wisdom and vast insight because He was pleased with what Solomon had asked for – a discerning heart to govern the people and to distinguish right from wrong (1 Kings 3:9). Proverbs 10:13 writes that wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning and King Solomon lived out this truth in his wise ruling (1 Kings 3:16-28, 9:15-23).

Apart from discernment, God’s wisdom brought peace to Solomon. The Lord put Solomon’s enemies under his feet blessed him with peaceful relations with King Hiram of Tyre (1 Kings 5:3-4, 12). Proverbs 16:7 says that God makes people around us live at peace with us, even our enemies, as long as all our ways and deeds are pleasing to Him.

Solomon had wisdom in prayer. His prayer of dedication to the Lord (1 Kings 8:22-53) demonstrated humility before the Lord God Almighty. He confessed the sins of the people and cried out to the Lord for forgiveness. The Lord heard Solomon’s prayer and answered him, assuring him that there would always be a man on the throne of Israel as long as he and his sons follow His commands and walk in His ways (1 Kings 9:2-9). Solomon’s prayer reminded me of the time David cried out to the Lord after he had committed adultery. David cried, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” (Ps. 51:17) Coming before the Lord in brokenness and defeat is not going to bring victory. It is reveling in God’s promises that will do that; we must approach God with confidence in His promises (Heb. 4:16).

God’s wisdom didn’t stop at Solomon’s ruling and governing, it extended to his judgment in the economy, in trading and even raising the value of silver (1 Kings 9:26, 10:21-23,27). It was recorded that silver was of little worth in those times. Economic wisdom is still prevalent today as God plants people in the economic and finance sectors to make sound judgment. God Himself controls the economy and knows every detail of the business cycle and the rise and fall of prices. However, like Solomon, this blessing doesn’t stand unless one live in God’s righteousness – walk to God’s ways (Prov. 10:22, 15:6).

1 Kings 11 reveals Solomon’s disobedience to God when it came to foreign women. Because he didn’t follow God completely, God’s wisdom in him was brought to naught. Proverbs 9:10 teaches us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Proverbs 26 writes that the Lord gives wisdom; knowledge and understanding comes from his mouth. And proverbs 8:13 says to fear the Lord is to hate evil. Solomon loved his foreign wives and did evil in the eyes of God by worshipping their foreign gods (1 Kings 11:6). His fear of the Lord diminished and this displeased the Lord. As he didn’t follow God completely (v6), the blessings of wisdom were no more – peace turned into disaster (11:9-43).  

Proverbs 10:27 writes “the fear of the Lord adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.” This was what happened to King Solomon (11:14,15), King Jeroboam, Rehoboam, Abijah, Nadab, Baasha, Zimri, Omri and King Ahab. They did evil in the eyes of the Lord and their years were cut short.  Conversely, Asa king of Judah feared the Lord (1 Kings 15:9-23). Because of that, he had the Lord’s wisdom and he lived in safety and at ease (Prov.1:33).

God’s wisdom is also about following instructions. In 1 Kings 17, about the widow at Zarephath, God’s wisdom was seen through Elijah as he followed God’s instructions to go to the widow’s house and he found favor with her (Prov. 8:32-36). God’s wisdom was also seen through the widow as she did what she was told. Though she said what she said in verse 18, she submitted and allowed Elijah to take her son. I believe that though she might not trust Elijah, she trusted in the Lord (Prov.16:20). 1 Kings 17:18 and 17:24 were trust issues with Elijah and not with God. Wisdom is about trusting in the Lord, not man, as we heed His instructions. This wisdom needs to be practiced. The widow, once wise, the next moment, allowed her emotions to take control, not heeding Elisha’s instructions. In 2 Kings 4:8-36, she insisted on following Gehazi though that wasn’t what Elisha instructed. And because it wasn’t God’s plan that she went along, her son remained dead. She must have realized the importance of heeding whatever Elisha instructed because the second time round, Elisha shut the door on them and she didn’t insist on staying with her child. Then, her son came to life again (Prov.19:20-22).  

King Ahab did evil in the eyes of the Lord (1 Kings 21:25). However, the fear of the Lord and the wisdom of the Lord came upon him and brought him to humble himself before God (v28). The fear of the Lord taught King Ahab humility before God – and this is wisdom (Prov.15:33).

“Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.” (Prov.15:16) In 2 Kings 5:19-27, Gehazi, Elisha’s servant requested for a ‘love offering’ from Naaman, the commander of the army of the King of Aram, after Naaman was healed of leprosy through Elisha the prophet. He did this behind Elisha’s back and this ‘wealth with turmoil’ brought a curse on himself and his descendents – that Naaman’s leprosy will cling on to him and his descendents forever (v27). The fear of the Lord teaches wisdom, not greed.

“The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good man rewarded for his.” (Prov.14:14) In 2 Kings 7:1-2, Elisha prophesied that God will provide for the famine in Samaria but the officer offered a faithless reply. Indeed, he was fully repaid for being faithless, he saw the prophecy fulfill but he could not receive God’s providence as well because he died (v17-19). Wisdom produces faith; a good man is a man of faith and he is rewarded for without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb.11:6).

King Hezekiah was another King who feared the Lord (2 Kings 20:2-3, Prov.14:2, 16). Unlike the field commander and King of Assyria, King Hezekiah lived by God’s wisdom. They were foolish in mocking God’s power, while Hezekiah exalted God by turning to him in prayer (2 Kings 18:19-25, 20:2-3). Hezekiah turning to the wall and praying pleased God because he was upright and trusted in God (prov.15:8, James 5:16, Ps.40:4). Proverbs 14:3 says “A fool’s talk brings a rod to his back, but the lips of the wise protect them.” King Hezekiah feared the Lord, he found wisdom and knowledge and understanding of the God he trusted. God added years to his life in his illness as he turned to the wall and prayed to God. Hezekiah’s wisdom rewarded him while because the King of Assyria mocked God, his Kingdom fell (2 Kings 19, Prov.9:10-12). Wisdom is being upright in ALL our deeds (THIS INCLUDES SPEECH!).

In 2 Kings 22, it records that King Josiah feared the Lord too. He inquired of the Lord because the people of his time did not obey the commands of the Lord and he was deeply grieved – he tore his robe (v11). Because he tore his robe and wept in God’s presence, the Lord promised that he will be buried in peace with his fathers and he wouldn’t live to see the disaster that He will being upon the people. In 2 Kings 23:29-30, King Josiah died under the hands of Pharoah Neco of Egypt in Megiddo. I struggled to understand how peaceful that kind of death could be – to die in battle, in the hands of the enemy. How then was he buried in peace? As I was reading Revelations from heaven by Rev.Steven Francis Das, I learnt that Megiddo is a Hebrew word which means to cut off and slaughter and many of the wars at that time took place there. God showed me through Proverbs 1:33 and Psalm 23:4 that King Josiah truly died in peace, though in battle, and in that horrible place. Proverbs 1:33 writes that he will have no fear of harm, and not that he will not encounter harm. Psalm 23:4 writes that God’s rod and staff will comfort him as he goes through the valley of the shadow of death. Like the qualities of a shadow, death can do no harm to our promised eternal life. King Josiah was assured of this promise of eternal life in the end and he had no fear of facing Neco and death because God’s peace was upon Him. He found God’s wisdom and hence God’s peace (Prov.3:13, 17).

Proverbs 2 advocates that we must accept and store up God’s commands, and then He will give us wisdom which will help us understand the fear of the Lord, obedience in keeping His commands. From God’s wisdom come many promised blessings and benefits. Through the fear of the Lord, a man avoids evil (Prov.16:6). The Lord desires that we ask Him for wisdom simply because He loves us and wants the best for us. Living by God’s wisdom is wisdom. Asking Him for wisdom is wisdom. God’s wisdom is a gift anyone can receive. When you’ve received His wisdom, don’t be like the widow, rather exercise your wisdom. Above all, fear the Lord always for the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Got it? Or, rather, done it?

My spiritual turning point

I used to be a lukewarm Christian. I would go to church on Sundays, receive God’s anointing and blessings and the minute it hit Monday, I went back to the life where God was secondary. It got better when I turned 17, and I found myself desiring more for God and His Word. Yet, things I wanted to do and the plans I had, kept my focus away from God. The time I entered the University in 2009, I knew at some point my spiritual life would change. It did, gradually. But what I am most thankful to God for is the point where God put a burning desire within me and my life changed drastically.

I attended my church healing rally on 25^th June 2011 not because I was unwell, physically or spiritually, or at least I did not think I was. But that night, God healed me. I was slain, for the first time, under the power of the anointing of God. When I hit the floor, my arms began to move, like I was dancing in the spirit – drunk. A burden and deep desire filled my heart and I was crying out to the Lord. I did not care about the people around me or what they would think of me; I was just overwhelmed by my God. In my vision, the Lion of Judah appeared to me and He was smiling at me. It was the first time I genuinely believed that God loves me. His smile was more than enough to fill my heart with this unfailing love. And I was caught humbled by His grace and tears fell from my eyes uncontrollably. God was healing my heart and restoring His joy and love. I broke out in holy laughter. I laughed and cried, and laughed and cried, and I simply couldn’t stop. Throughout the one hour I was on the floor, the Lion of Judah was beside me, so big, so glorious, and so real. Praise the Lord!

The next morning, in Sunday service, I felt satisfied with what I had encountered the night before. So, when I went forward to be prayed for I wasn’t expecting any huge encounter but just mere ‘Word from God’. God was gracious to me, and though I had not asked for anything, He set my heart free that afternoon – completely. I was again slain under the anointing of God and I was dancing in the spirit. Then I caught a glimpse of the throne of God, so bright and glorious and it filled the entire frame of my mind. Then like what was recorded in the Book of Revelation, the elders and creatures were bowing down before the throne to worship and they kept declaring, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is, to come!” The more I danced in the spirit, the more I got closer to the scene as if the entire vision enlarged in my mind. I felt a strange feeling in my mouth, like I had to release something. And when I opened it, the words “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is, to come” came out. The more I declared it, the louder it became and tears just flowed down from my eyes. I could not withstand His holy presence. It was too great and too powerful. And I broke out in holy laughter, my entire being consumed by the fire of God. I was enjoying the presence of the Lord but it did not last. Next thing I knew, I saw a dragon hovering over the sea, just like in Revelation 13:1. Fear gripped me. I was screaming at the top of my voice, the image of the dragon was so frightening that I had to cover my ears and my body cuddled up. I just wanted to escape from where I was. Then, the Lion of Judah appeared to me, and He roared with such might and authority at the dragon and it fled from my sight immediately. I was still trembling in fear until the Holy Spirit within me caused me to open my mouth and imitate the roar of the Lion. After several roars, I felt an immense peace. That dragon was associated with any past events I had gone through which deemed unholy, and it included temple-visiting in a school fieldtrip in February. Glory to God for setting me free completely!

I was extremely excited for the next Sunday service because I knew that it was the season of spiritual encounters with the Lord. Sunday service finally arrived and I rushed to the altar to ‘catch’ the anointing of God. And I was slain, for the third time. This experience brought me to understand God’s grace in my life. I saw myself dancing in the spirit and there an angel was playing the harp. But minutes later, the angel disappeared and my physical body became paralyzed, just as it was in my vision. And I cried out to God, and asked, “God, where are You? Why have You left me here?” Tears of fear and abandonment came and it did not get any better because the Lord was silent. But what I found several minutes later was God’s grace when the Lion of Judah walked towards me. I felt like there was a pressure pressing against my chest and physically my chest contracted. It hurt a lot. Then I saw the Lion’s paw on my chest, where my heart was, and I asked, “Jesus, what are You doing?” And He answered, “I am searching your heart.” I tear even more because I was afraid that He would find me unfaithful and unworthy. But the Lion said, “You are Enoch, you have been faithful. You have walked with me though you’ve been through a lot of things, and you will continue to walk with me.” I was overwhelmed by His grace. And I broke out in holy laughter – the third time. In my vision, my body was restored and I was dancing before the Lion and He was so delighted. I could see so clearly His smile. Unexpectedly, the Lion took me to a cliff and over the cliff there was a river of fire and lava and hands and heads were sticking out from the river. I remember very clearly that my dance moves were different from the “heaven-like” place to the “hell-like” place. It was like warfare dance. When we returned to the “heaven-like” place, He said, “Whenever you are dancing before me and for warfare, I will give you dance patterns so different and you will know which is for which.” The Lion of Judah roared at my face thrice, and there was such power in His roar. Then, He said, “Go!”

God’s grace caused my life to change from that day on. Every day God would put a new desire in my heart to pray and to worship and to seek Him. It brought me to a more intimate relationship with the Father. And I began to move in the Spirit to minister to people. God would show me things that He wanted me to tell them and He ministered to them. Today, I thank God that He is using me to fulfill my destiny, His calling for me, and to spread the fire of God.

“Give thanks to the Lord our God, for He is good. His love endures forever.” (Psalm 136:1)

Amen! Indeed, God is sounding the trumpet and gathering His army for battle. His love and grace will sustain us, and we must be careful to obey all that God has commanded. Are you ready for battle? You have to be. You must. Take up the sword and put on the armor of God.

Got it? Or, rather, done it?