OPEN THE EYES OF MY HEART

- Faith Food For Spiritual Sight -

By Minoli Haththotuwa

Copyright © 2011 by Minoli Haththotuwa

Open the Eyes of My Heart Faith Food For Spiritual Sight

by Minoli Haththotuwa

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN 9781613795309

All rights reserved solely by the author. The author guarantees all contents are original and do not infringe upon the legal rights of any other person or work. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without the permission of the author. The views expressed in this book are not necessarily those of the publisher.

Unless otherwise indicated, Bible quotations are taken from The New International Version of the Bible. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.

www.risingonwings.org

Introduction

This book is a collection of Bible based messages, from the Old and New Testaments. It begins with four messages about the boy Samuel and how he began to hear the voice of God. The Father is looking for people who will awaken their spiritual senses and tune in to heaven’s frequency. He seeks those who want the mind of Christ, and desire to see and hear what He longs to reveal to us. His heart is delighted when we seek the things of Heaven, and He hears and answers when we say “Father, open the eyes of my heart”! This requires faith, humility, and surrender to the Holy Spirit, and is the first step towards walking in the supernatural dimension. The chapters of this book were originally written as weekly “eWords” for the inspirational website www.risingonwings.org. Each stand-alone chapter consists of a passage of Scripture and its application. It would make a good travelling companion, a motivating devotional, or a provoking group study guide. Reading this book will stir your faith to explore the eternal realm which exists parallel to the physical realities of this earthly life, and is as much the truth.

May you be blessed and inspired as you read the chapters of this book. May you be encouraged to step out in faith as you ask the Father to open the eyes of your heart!

Dedication

This book is dedicated to the One who opened my eyes to that other dimension, my dearest Friend, Teacher, and Guide – the Blessed Holy Spirit who is “Christ in us, the hope of glory”. He is the Counselor, Comforter and Lord, and the Word dwelling in flesh. May He fill you with His joy, and open the eyes and ears of your heart to experience the glories of Heaven! I am also very grateful to all the precious men and women of God who walk in the supernatural realm and have inspired me to “see” limitless possibilities for Heaven on earth!

Contents

Chapter Page

I God’s Voice In The Night. 17

II “Here I Am” 24

III “Speak Lord” 30

IV Following Through 37

V Seeking The One I Love 43

VI Open The Eyes 48

VII Looking At The Heart 54

VIII Revelation Road I 60

IX Revelation Road II 68

X Stairway To Heaven 75

XI In The Presence Of God 82

XII Bethel 89

XIII Unless I See 93

XIV Blessed Are Those 102

XV A Holy Temple 109

XVI From The Ends Of The Earth 117

XVII God’s Appointments 124

XVIII Many Rooms 131

XIX Under The Fig Tree 136

XX Complete Joy 142

XXI Visions By The River 149

XXII Visions By The River 155

“I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe.”

Ephesians 1:18 & 19

Foreword

Minoli’s “Open The Eyes Of My Heart” is a chapter by chapter collection of carefully unwrapped treasures, the unveiling of truths that come from a heart that burns with passion for her Beloved. Find a comfortable chair, have a cup of tea, snuggle up, and let Minoli’s kind, gentle nature and revelatory wisdom open your spirit eyes and draw you, as she’s been drawn, into the burning heart of our Heavenly Father.

Tracy Ruleman

Co-pastor

The Gate Washington, DC

Chapter One

God’s Voice In The Night

(1 Samuel 3:1-4)

“The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions. One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called Samuel.”

Samuel was a great prophet of God, and the thirteenth judge of Israel (1 Samuel 1:15-17). His name means “Name of God”, “Asked of God” and “Heard by God”. He was the son of Godly parents (Elkanah and Hannah) and the miraculous result of persistent prayer. 1 Samuel 1 talks about how Samuel’s mother Hannah prayed continuously and patiently, and finally received him as a precious gift from God.

We are told that Samuel grew up during a time when the Word of the Lord was ‘rare’, and there were ‘not many visions’. Israel was in a sad condition. We know from Judges 21:25 that Israel experienced a spiritual vacuum and a sense of confusion during this time. The nation had no real leadership, and people all went their own lawless way because they had lost sight of God. They had shifted their focus to the methods and powers of the world, and so they stopped seeing the goodness of the Lord. They stopped hearing His voice. The Word of the Lord had become ‘rare’, and something they did not even look for or expect to experience. The visions had dried up and there were no divine dreams. There was no prophetic voice speaking the heart of God to the nation. The supernatural, miracle working presence of Almighty God, which had been their portion as they travelled through the desert for forty years had become a thing of the past, and an old testimony, which had lost its shine.

This happened because the priests of God had allowed their vision to become dull. Eli’s eyes had become so weak that he could barely see. Everything seemed dark to him and he was unable to see the Light. (Matthew 6:23 says: “If your eyes are bad your whole body will be full of darkness.) God had placed a commission and a priestly anointing upon his life, but he had lost sight of his calling over the years. He had been overtaken by rituals and traditions, and the expectations of the people he served. As the years went by and he focused increasingly on things which were not priorities to God, his sight deteriorated even more, as the vision God gave him faded away. He became heavy and more tired (1 Samuel 4:18), until finally, he could only sit around, or lie down in his ‘usual place’. Weariness sets in, when we stop flowing in the Spirit and serve in the flesh. There was no more fight in him. There was no more passion, as he just went through the motions day in and day out, simply existing, when God had decreed for him a powerful anointing, and a passionate love. Things were pretty bleak in the house of God, where there used to be joy and celebration, and great rejoicing. There was a sense of darkness in the temple, which had once been flooded with shekinah glory and the reality of God’s presence, but the lamp of God had not yet gone out. From Leviticus 24:2 we know that God instructed the people of Israel to use olive oil to keep the lamps in the temple burning continuously. They were not to be allowed to go out. The priests were given the responsibility of replenishing the lamps with oil even through the night, but Eli was asleep. His vision was so dim that he could not see that the lamp was barely a weak, flickering flame. The lamp is symbolic of the presence of God which comes into a home or church when there is sincere prayer and worship, and a hunger for Heaven. It is also symbolic of the prophetic voice. Things may seem pretty bleak around us in the city, in the economy, and in the political scene of the nation. We may look around and see lawlessness on every side, as people embrace evil as good and reject good as evil. There is a sense of confusion and an ‘orphan’ spirit in homes, in schools, in the atmosphere, as people feel a strange sense of being abandoned and dislodged from the very purpose they were created for – to worship and have relationship with their Creator and God. Most people are unable to identify the cause of their emptiness and pain, and so the general dependence on prescription medication and other addictive substances increases, and division and distress seems to multiply. All the while the world cries out for answers, many of the priests of God are asleep. They have lost their vision and sense of purpose. Many continue to wear themselves out fruitlessly with human plans and programs, lulled into a slumber of complacency, while thousands die daily, lost and bound, into eternal darkness. When the priest replenished the lamp with fresh oil, he was also supposed to clean and replace the wick daily. The flame would not burn brightly if the wick was old and covered with residue. Prayer and prophecy are not able to prosper because of the residue of sin that people often live with, trying to run two parallel lives, or keep one foot in the world and one in the Lord!

Eli followed a daily routine, a habit of lying down in his usual place. Friend, it is time to break out of the routine in the usual place and seek the secret place! It is time to light the lamp again. It is time to ask the blessed Holy Spirit for fresh oil, so that a passion and a radical love will burn fiercely, and consume everything and everyone in the temple! God wants more for us than an economy ticket to Heaven and mere existence or survival on Planet Earth. It is time for Eli to truly live again. It is time for Eli to experience a fresh visitation of the presence of Jehovah and to be lifted up to dance and rejoice in His arms once more. It is time for the priests of God to take their place as the watchmen on the walls and the guardians of the anointing oil. They have been given the opportunity to live in His presence day and night – holy stewards of a holy calling amidst a lost generation. We cannot allow the lamp to go out. We will not allow the darkness to come in. Eli awake! Eli arise! Come back to your calling. Come back to the vision God gave you. You are anointed and appointed for such a time as this!

Samuel was just a young boy. (According to the historian Josephus, he was around 12 years old when God called him). He knew there was a special purpose for his life. His mother had consecrated him to the Lord when he was born, because she knew he was a miraculous answer to prayer (1 Samuel 1:11). Numbers 6:1-21 explains the Nazirite vow, in which people devoted themselves to the Lord’s service either for a period of time or for their whole lives. This is what Hannah did with Samuel, and he lived and served in the Lord’s house from his early years. He probably slept close to Eli’s bed because Eli was old, feeble, and almost blind, and may have needed Samuel’s assistance if he woke up during the night. Unfortunately he ministered before the Lord ‘under’ Eli, so he only knew to do what his leader did – he was sleeping when the lamp of God was going out.

However, we are told that God called Samuel. Although he was a child, and did not know much about theology, traditions, rituals, or the history of the church, there was one thing he knew to do – he stayed close to the ark of God, where the presence of God was. In a day and age when priests and prophets had not heard the voice of God for many years, God called to the heart of a child. In a time when the rhema word had dried up in the prayer meetings, and the gifts of the Spirit were not flowing (visions were scarce), in the quiet of the night, God called his name! In Matthew 18:3 Jesus said “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven”. His heart was fresh and open, and ready to hear. His spiritual senses had not been stunted by the thinking of the world.

It could be that you have been looking at your circumstances and have felt a sense of defeat and discouragement. Perhaps looking at the situation in your city, nation or family makes you feel that there is no hope, because things seem to be overtaken by darkness. I would like to suggest that little Samuel heard the voice of God at night, because the night is a great time to hear from God. When the distracting stimuli ever present before our eyes have been shut down, and the perpetual noises that bombard our ear gates are still, our hearts can actually hear without hindrance, and be receptive to the soft sweet Voice that comes from the throne room of God. So look up and be filled with expectation! God is looking to speak to you. He is calling to you through the darkness.

It is time to pull the scales off our eyes, the spiritual cataracts that have blinded us to the move of God, His heart for souls, and His compassion for the nations. God is calling us back to childlike love and childlike faith, and an openness to hear His voice and see dreams and visions once more. He is calling us to wake up from our slumber. Let us open our lives to the outpoured oil of the Holy Spirit, so that we can fall in love with Jesus afresh and be radically filled with passion once more! In these last days, God wants to pour His presence and power through His priests, His children, like never before! “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the church”! (Revelations 2:29).

Arise, shine for your light has come! Wake up, hear the voice of the Father, and walk in His power and His blessing. See His heart, and be radical for Jesus wherever you are. You are loved and cherished by the King of kings and the Lord of lords!

Chapter Two

“Here I Am…” (1 Samuel 3:4-8)

“Then the Lord called to Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.” And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down. Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” “My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord. The Word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. The Lord called Samuel a third time and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy.”

In the last chapter we read about how little Samuel was asleep near the ark of God when he heard the voice of God calling to him. In the thick darkness of the night, through the layers of consciousness, deep in his spirit, Samuel heard someone call his name. This little boy had a servant heart, which was instantly alert even in the middle of the night. He knew his master was old and frail and likely to need his assistance. He was probably half asleep, but he jumped up and ran to Eli, saying, “Here I am; you called me”. His master had not called, and told him to go back and lie down, so little Samuel obeyed the instructions of the priest. He lay down on his bed and probably closed his eyes to drift into sleep again, when he heard the same voice call his name. Automatically, he jumped up and ran to Eli again, repeating “Here I am; you called me...” But Eli told him once more to go back to bed. This happened a third time before the penny finally dropped, and Eli understood that someone was calling Samuel, and that if it was not him (Eli) then it was God!

Friend, in a season when our soon-coming King has asked us to watch and pray, and pray and prophesy, there are always forces which try to shut down the prophetic voice and the spirit of prayer in the body of Christ. From the very inception of the church, Jesus has been asking us to stay alert and awake, and pray. As he prayed agonized prayers before his crucifixion in the Garden of Gethsemane, he told his disciples to stay in prayer, but each time he came back to them, he found them asleep! This has surely been the biggest enemy of the Body of Christ - the hypnotic sleep of complacency and the spirit of slumber. It seems more natural to fall asleep than to stay awake; to get distracted with some temporal matter, than to be watchful and pray. This is a reflection of the times. Like little children who go to sleep at night always believing they will wake up to a better day, much of the Body of Christ sleeps in the belief that all the darkness will just ‘go away’!

For many of us looking for breakthrough in our own different life situations, or concerned about our communities, cities and nations, God wants us to receive His call today! He is asking us to rise up and seek His presence; to pray with fervor and urgency, and to seek Him while He may be found (Isaiah 55:6). We know that Samuel became a mighty man of God who walked in the power of the Holy Spirit; but at the time, he was just a little boy who had not yet encountered the Lord as his Savior. He was the disciple of Eli, who was the custodian of the temple. Eli was also the guardian of the lamp of God, which was barely a flickering flame in the dark days in which they lived. If Samuel had grown to be the kind of witness Eli had become, he would never have seen the mighty power of God flow through his life to shake his nation. But Eli told him something good that night. He told him to open his heart to the voice of God. This changed the course of Samuel’s life.

It is interesting to note that although Samuel was told twice to just get back to bed and go to sleep, he still jumped up and ran to Eli in response to the voice calling his name. He had not still experienced the reality of God for himself, but there was a part of him, deep down in his heart, hungry to hear the voice of God and walk in the fullness of his destiny. He was a young child, but he had a heart for God and it could not be quelled. Unbeknown to him, his spirit was yearning to be woken up by the loving voice of the Everlasting Father. There was a spirit of prayer rising up which could not be cut off. There was a prophetic voice emerging in the church which would not be silenced!

Many of us have been Samuels - rising to meet the call of the Lord, and setting out in the divine commission we were given, only to be silenced by tradition, establishment, or the voice of the enemy telling us to go back and sleep! Many of us may have been attacked by some infirmity, which may have hindered us operating in the gift that God has placed upon us. Sometimes we are too intimidated by the voices around us, which are louder and more forceful, and outnumber us. We may eventually allow ourselves to be shouted down, and quietly go back into hibernation until the next time God calls. I challenge you today to dare to keep praying and seeking the presence of Jesus. Dare to keep prophesying. Dare to keep dreaming the dream that God has given you. Dare to keep believing that if God has called you to do something, He will give you the boldness and the anointing, and will empower you to be effective for the glory of His name. Dare to be a Samuel in this generation! The enemy cannot silence the voice of God. The enemy cannot silence the voice of the prophets. The darkness shall not put out the light!

Young Samuel had been dedicated to the Lord, and consecrated for service in the temple. His mother had promised to give him to the Lord, even before he was born. There was a calling on his life before he began to take shape in his mother’s womb. Although he had not encountered the Lord for himself, he was actually living close to the presence of God, sleeping by the Ark of the Covenant, and in the temple day and night. He was in the right place to hear from God. He was positioned to see the plan of God fulfilled in his life. Many people are crying out for a Word from God and to be guided in some decision they have to take, but they have not positioned themselves to hear from Him. Worldly ‘noise’ has filled their lives and shut out the voice of God which speaks gently into our hearts. It is time to stop and seek the presence of God. It is time to be like Samuel and lie down near the ark of God. James 4:8 says “Come near to God and He will come near to you.” He is calling you to come and fellowship with Him. He is calling you to higher ground.

There are many Samuels who have been told to go back and sleep, when the voice of the Spirit is calling within them. There is a voice of prophecy rising up on the inside of you. There is a prayer bubbling up to be spoken. Let it not be silenced my friend; let it not be drowned out or shut down. It is the voice of God to be released upon the earth and God’s Word cannot return to Him void (Isaiah 55:11).

In these last days, there is just one treasure we can know for sure will follow us into eternity: the calling and gifting of God. God has placed a calling on your life - to follow Him and serve Him all the days of your life. My prayer for you is that you will obey His calling and assignment for you, and that you will experience His awesome power and anointing as you, like Samuel, open your heart to hear His voice with clarity, and do His will right where you are.

May the peace of God and His great joy be yours today and always, as you say to God “Here I am – You called me!”

Chapter Three

“Speak Lord…”(1 Samuel 3:8b-14)

“Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if He calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening’.” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle. At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family – from beginning to end. For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons made themselves contemptible, and he failed to restrain them. Therefore, I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be

atoned for by sacrifice or offering’.”

When Eli realized that it was God calling Samuel, he told Samuel what to do, and how to hear from God. It was a long time since he had heard the voice of God but there was a time in the past when he used to fellowship heart to heart with the Lord. His sons (who were also priests) were sinning against God and the community, and this had come between God and Eli. The second chapter of 1 Samuel talks about how God spoke to him through a prophet, about the evil ways of his sons. When God shows us sin and corruption in our midst, and we do not heed His warnings and His call to prayer or action, the outcome can be serious. Not only does He raise up others who will be faithful to obey Him, but we gradually lose our sensitivity to His voice and the things that concern His heart. (1 Timothy 4:2 talks about a seared conscience, which arises as we continue to ignore or cover up sin). Eli had lost the awareness of God’s presence. We too would eventually stop speaking to a person who did not respond. God was taking Samuel to another level of revelation and service but he had to position himself for that step upwards. Up to now he had served the Lord in the flesh - fulfilling all his physical duties in the house of God. From the time he entered the ministry in the temple, he had worn a little linen robe sewn by his mother (1 Samuel 2:19) and learnt whatever was required of him in the daily running of the temple. He had been diligent and faithful. Now, he wasted no time obeying what Eli told him to do, in order to hear the voice of God. We can see from his quickness to awaken and run to Eli even at night that he had an attitude and a heart to serve. These are characteristics God seeks – a teachable spirit and a servant’s heart.

God was taking Samuel into the dimension of the Spirit. He would begin a journey which would continue through his lifetime as he grew into the powerful prophetic anointing God had decreed for him. It had to all begin with learning to hear the voice of God. Unless he learnt to discern God’s voice and receive divine direction, there would be no growth in his relationship with God or the ministry God had called him to.

Samuel did what Eli told him to do and lay down on his bed until he heard God’s voice calling to him for the fourth time. We do not know how long he had to wait, but those minutes or hours probably felt like an eternity in the darkness of the night. It is not easy for a young boy to be still! Maybe he was a little tense and fearful – after all, this was God Almighty seeking his ear! As he responded to the voice of God calling his name, and opened his heart to receive words from heaven, we are told that the Lord came and “stood there”. Samuel may have seen and felt the glory of God. He was probably filled with awe and the fear of the Lord, as he sat frozen in the presence of God, not sure if he was awake or dreaming all this! It was a night he would remember for the rest of his life.

God spoke to Samuel about what was in store for Eli’s family. This was not pleasant news for Samuel to receive the first time he heard from God. It was Eli’s responsibility to bring his sons back in line with the Word of God, and he had failed to do what he should have done as a father and a priest. God’s father heart always seeks to pick us up, forgive, brush us down, and strengthen us to finish the race. He gives us time and every opportunity to turn from the wrong path and get back on track with Him. However, there had been no repentance in Eli’s sons, who just continued exploiting the people of God and misusing their ministry and position during the time God gave them grace. They had hardened their hearts to such a degree that they even despised the hand of God, and His voice calling them back to His love. This was why the Lord said that “the guilt of Eli’s house would never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.” Although God’s grace and provision for restoration were available, these young men had spurned His voice and refused to receive. This is very sad and must have grieved the heart of God deeply. Hebrews 10:26 tells us: “For if we sin willfully after we receive the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins”. This shows us that God’s free gifts (such as forgiveness) are lavishly released, but they have to be received to be activated. We can also see the huge responsibility God places upon His servants when He gives them authority over the lives of others – whether in the home, the market place, or the ministries of His kingdom.

God has prophetic messages for us which He wants us to take to the world in which we live. Many of us may hear the voice of God but not recognize it as His voice, or respond as He wants us to. Perhaps you (like Eli) heard from God regularly in the past, but have forgotten what it feels like to hear from Him more recently. Many of us may have heard Him call but never really stopped to listen. I believe we can all learn from Samuel. He started right!

1) Samuel lay down. He brought his heart and his body into quietness and submission before the Lord. Many times we bring our bodies under control, but our minds may be racing around the neighborhood, the stock market, or the events of the day! To hear the still small voice of God, we have to consciously ‘tune off’ from other things, and ‘shut down’ every distraction. Of course we can hear from the Lord in the center of a busy airport or while driving the car, but when we are seeking to hear from Him, it helps to get away from people and noise, and close the door on the world.

2) His heart was open to hear from God. He said ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening’. Not only did he close off other distractions, but he tuned in to the right frequency. We can have the radio on, but will not hear the channel we desire unless we tune in to the correct band width.

3) When God called to him again he listened; he did not attempt to speak. Samuel meant what he said to God and actually listened. Maybe he was in shock or awe, but all the while the Lord spoke, we do not see Samuel saying anything. He just listened. It is very difficult to have a conversation with someone who never listens, even to your responses to their questions. We may sometimes be doing this in our interaction with the Lord. We tell Him we want to hear from Him, but often, we may be so busy speaking out our own feelings, praises or concerns, that we do not give Him a chance to speak! The Lord is looking for listeners. A hurting world is looking for listeners.

God called to Samuel 3 times, before he recognized (with Eli’s help) that this was God, and stopped to listen. God in His mercy keeps knocking on the door, until we finally realize it is Him and open it wide! We may get it wrong many times in terms of hearing and interpretation, or simply stopping to listen because of how rushed life can be; but God is patient and merciful and is willing to teach those who are willing to learn.

Finally, believe that God is calling you to higher ground, even as He took Samuel to another dimension of ministry in the Holy Spirit. He sees your diligence and faithfulness. He sees your love for Him and your hunger for His presence. He sees your heart to serve. He is calling you to step up to another level, a place where you will stop striving, and simply flow in the anointing of the blessed Holy Spirit. May the sweet Spirit of God lift you up on the wings of an eagle, and sweep you up to heady, higher levels in Him, as He enables you to hear His voice and do His will. He has great plans for you!

Chapter Four

Following Through

(1 Samuel 3:15-20)

“Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, but Eli called him and said, “Samuel my son.” Samuel answered, “Here I am.” “What was it He said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything He told you.” So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let Him do what is good in His eyes.” The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there He revealed Himself to Samuel through His Word”.

For Samuel, the hours after his encounter with the Lord may have been more tense than the ones before. He probably could not sleep as he lay there wondering what to do. God had given him a difficult assignment, to speak a message of judgment to someone in authority over him. He may have wondered how to convey this. These were people he had lived and worked with for some years. They were close associates of his family, and Eli was loved and respected by his parents. He had been Samuel’s teacher and initiator, and his spiritual father, in these years since his parents ‘gave’ him over to the house of God.

However, it was business as usual for young Samuel when he arose in the morning and went about his normal duties in the temple. He was in an uncomfortable position, and probably wishing that all the events of the night had been just a dream. He had encountered the living Lord who he had been serving for some years, and this changed the course of his life forever. God’s words were probably still reverberating in his heart. Samuel feared the Lord, and did not want to disobey Him. He knew he had to convey the message he had been entrusted with, but at the same time, he was afraid to tell Eli what God had said to him. No one wants to be the carrier of bad news, especially to someone who calls you ‘son’! Eli already knew that God had spoken to Samuel and that it was not a happy message. God had spoken to him about his sons in the past, so it was not a new message either. When Eli sternly ordered Samuel to tell him everything, Samuel did. And Eli received the message and submitted to it as the word of the Lord.

Samuel had completed his first assignment for the

Lord!

We are told that:

1) The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up

2) God fulfilled the prophetic utterances of Samuel (He let ‘none of his words fall to the ground’).

3) Samuel became famous around the nation as a prophet of God.

4) God continued to reveal Himself to Samuel and bless his life and ministry with His presence.

Samuel became a great man of God. We know that he continued to serve the Lord until the end of his days, and God used him mightily in the land, and did great things through his life. But it all began with a little step of obedience. It all started with surrender. When Samuel lay down on his bed and opened his heart and mind to hear from God, he was letting go of his own will and desires, and saying “Here I am Lord, Speak to me. I am ready to do whatever you want me to.” It is not something a young boy would find easy to do.

Then, when God came to him and gave him a message for Eli and his family, he had to make some tough choices. He may have preferred to just forget about the whole thing and carry on as if nothing had happened. But he made a decision which many ministers and disciples of the Lord find hard to make; he had to choose whether to please the people he served or Almighty God. Too many times we may make the wrong choice, believing that we can ‘sort things out’ with God later on! It can be a painful and costly lesson, but a prophet has to become just a little bit desensitized to the rejection or displeasure of others.

Although Eli spoke quite sternly to Samuel, Samuel was not put off, and gave him the message just as God had given it to him. Samuel told him ‘everything’. Most of us may be inclined to water down the message, and sculpture it a little bit, to make it more palatable and more convenient to serve up! Most of the Old Testament prophets found to their detriment that people often hate not just a strong message but the messenger as well!

It is possible that things were a little tense in the temple of the Lord after that morning, but we know that little Samuel never ran away from his place of service. I believe that this was the start of a beautiful new relationship between him and the Lord of the House. The presence of God became real to him. He fellowshipped with His Heavenly Father as he moved about the temple doing his daily tasks. As he lay down to sleep near the ark of God, he would hear God’s voice, and sense His nearness. He was in the school of the Spirit, experiencing the Presence, learning to soak, learning to hear and obey, learning to tap into the very heart of God. It was a time of preparation for the ministry God had ordained for him. He became the leader of all Israel, flowing in the power of the Holy Spirit. He became God’s voice to a nation. We know that Samuel continued to grow and prosper spiritually, because “the Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there He revealed Himself to Samuel through His Word”. Samuel went from strength to strength, because He sought the presence of the Lord and sought ever deeper revelations through God’s Word. Spiritual growth and power are only possible when we make Jesus our first priority, and spend time soaking in His presence and feeding on His Word. Everything we do for Him is the fruit, the natural product of abiding in the vine.

Friend, God has decreed great things for you. He has called you to rule and reign in heavenly places with the Lord Jesus. He has called you to be the head and not the tail. He has great plans for you, but they cannot come to pass until you begin to co-operate with the precious Spirit of God and allow Him to flow into and through your life. It all starts with a little seed of obedience when like Samuel, we open our hearts and actively tune in to the ‘God’ channel, listening to what He has to say and obeying without compromise. It is not always easy, but God will give you the grace and enabling, and He will prepare the hearts to which you have to speak.

The best part of being the Father’s mouthpiece is that you experience the most wonderful joy and communion with Daddy God when you listen and obey. The completion of each assignment makes you ready for the next one and then the next. Each time, God increases your authority and anointing, and the sweet fellowship you can know with Him. You will begin to hear His heart and know things that are still to come to pass (“Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets” - Amos 3:7).

Last but not least, you may have been a disciple of the Lord Jesus, and even in ministry for some time, but may have never truly encountered the bone shaking, earth shattering, mountain moving God of the universe upon your person. He is calling you into a deeper walk with Him. He has greatness and power in store for you. All you have to do is seek, and ask! God longs to pour out more of His presence on those who are hungry.

May the sweet Holy Spirit anoint you, and enable you to stand up and be the person of power God has decreed you to be. You are His prophet and His priest! As you do what Samuel did and open your heart to God’s purpose and plan, may you walk into all the promise and potential that are yours, in Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Chapter Five

Seeking The One I Love

(Song of Songs 3:1-2)

“All night long on my bed I looked for the One my

heart loves; I looked for Him but did not find Him.

I will get up now and go about the city, through its streets and squares; I will search for the One my heart loves.”

In these last days, Jesus longs for His Bride to really seek Him, and meet with Him in the sweet, passionate intimacy we can know only in His presence. I feel His heart’s grief as He calls to His bride to come and find joy with Him, the pure and perfect joy of Heaven. Few seek Him for the sheer glory and awesome beauty of who He is. Even many of those faithful ones who call on His name, come to Him with a list and an agenda. The King of the universe, the Lord of Glory is calling to you today. He says “Come. Come to Me. Your rest is in My presence. Your peace is from being as one with Me. Your joy is when you understand the beating of My heart. It is only then that you will know the completeness of fulfillment in Me. It is only then that you will know complete faith, and know that I will overcome all the difficulties and challenges you face. Your enemy the accuser has tried to destroy you but if you draw near to Me, my presence will be your victory, for in repentance and rest is your salvation. I am your Lord who teaches you what is best for you. I will direct you in the way you should go. If only you had paid attention to my commands and sought my face, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea. But come to Me. As you seek Me you will see that every need you ever had is met in Me. Every prayer you ever prayed is complete in Me. I am the Everlasting, the beginning and the end -your wholeness and your victory is in Me. Seek me and you will find me as you seek me with all of your heart.....”

There is much we can learn from the young lady

in this Scripture from the Song of Songs:

1) All night she sought the one she loved. She waited for him. David wrote in Psalm 42, verses 1 & 2: “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? This was the longing in the heart of the bride who waited for her bridegroom and lover. Her heart was thirsty; her very being was consumed with the loving longing to be with him. Nothing else could satisfy her; no one else could take his place. She understood the purest pleasure she could know in His presence, and this is what her aching heart cried out for. This is the heart that Jesus seeks as His eyes wander to and fro across the world. He seeks the heart that is sold out for Him. A bride who loves Him more than any other. A bride who will say: “Yes, I am ready to follow You to the ends of the earth. Whatever You ask of me I lay down at Your feet. My very life is as nothing to me if I cannot feel Your embrace....” A bride who is in love with the Bridegroom! One who will willingly lose everyone and everything, just to spend her life with Him.

2) When the bridegroom did not appear, she got up and went in search of him. Jesus is calling us to persist in our walk with Him and our desire for His presence. How much do we really want Him? Yes we are all limited by schedules and the agendas of others we live and work with, but are we willing to press in? There may be many things that hinder us from truly encountering His presence. It could be some habitual sin, or the presence of other people. It could be some unforgiveness in our hearts which prevents us from entering the holy of holies. Perhaps it is some past stronghold which we never renounced and broke free from, but it is a good thing to stand up and confront anything that hinders us entering the embrace of Jesus. Each day we allow a hindrance to remain, it gets stronger, and a crust begins to grow over a heart that once burned with a passion for Jesus, and melted at the sound of His voice. Deal with it today. “Seek Him while He may be found; call on Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6). He is found by those who seek Him with all their hearts (Jeremiah 29:13).

Precious friend, as the time draws nearer for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, He is looking for a Bride who radically seeks Him, a persistent bride who does not give up. A bride who seeks Him through the darkness of the night and then keeps pressing in until the breakthrough comes. Jesus, our Bridegroom King seeks a bride who will search for Him with all her heart. A bride who will push aside every barrier, and not be deterred until she finds herself within His arms, held close to the beating of His heart. A bride who will not stop searching until she feels His hands holding her once more, and smells the fragrance of her Bridegroom’s touch. A bride who knows she has come home when she finds Him in that place where words are no longer necessary, and as lovers, they commune heart to heart, spirit to Spirit, lifted up to a different dimension where deep calls to deep, in the completeness of absolute communion. All the answers that you seek are in His perfect, powerful, holy presence.

The sweet intimacy we can know in the arms of the Bridegroom is only possible as we open ourselves to the moving of the Holy Spirit who loves Him so completely. As I sought God’s presence one day, I found myself praying “Precious Holy Spirit, teach me to love Jesus like You love Jesus....” I believe this was a turning point - I know He has taken a hold of my heart and my life will never be the same. I am in love, and it makes me weep for joy!

Precious child of the Almighty, I pray that you will set aside time to experience a fresh visitation of the Master, and that you will fall in love with the Bridegroom all over again. He is so beautiful, so glorious, so eternally magnetically worthy of all our love and worship. Come to Him and just worship Him without any agenda. As we seek Jesus and His Kingdom before anything else, He has promised that all other things, whatever they may be, will undoubtedly be added to us (Matthew 6:33). He is waiting for you with open arms! May you seek Him while He may be found.

“My beloved is mine and I am His” (Song of Songs 2:16). It is all about Jesus!

Chapter Six

Open The Eyes (2 Kings 6:8-17)

“Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, “I will set up my camp in such and such a place.” The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Beware of passing that place because the Arameans are going down there.” So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places. This enraged the king of Aram. He

summoned his officers and demanded of them, “Will you not tell me which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?”

“None of us, my lord the king,” said one of his officers, “but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.” “Go, find out where he is,” the king ordered, “so that I can send men and capture him.”The report came back: “He is in Dothan.” Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.

When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh, my lord, what shall we do?” the servant asked.“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

And Elisha prayed, “O Lord open his eyes so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses

and chariots of fire all round Elisha.”

This is a story of divine intelligence helping Israel and confounding the enemy army! We see how time and again, the king of Israel was many steps ahead of the Aramean army because God gave the prophet Elisha warning of where the enemy would be. The king of Aram was very puzzled. He took great steps to preserve security, revealing his plans only to his inner circle, and still, the king of Israel seemed to be aware of Aram’s strategies even before orders had been given for their implementation! When he sought to stop the leakage of information, he was amazed to discover that Elisha was aware of even the most closely guarded secrets whispered in his inner chamber!

The king of Aram did not understand that the source of the “leaked” information was Almighty God, and gave orders to capture Elisha and bring him in. When he sent his horses and chariots, and a ‘strong force’ for Elisha, he thought he could use his might to stop the army of Israel having an advantage in battle. But he was pitting his wits and his strength against the invincible and omnipotent One. Proverbs 21:30 and 31 say “There is no wisdom or understanding or counsel against the Lord. The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance is of the Lord”. There is a song which goes as follows: “Some may trust in horses, some may trust in chariots but we will trust in the name of the Lord”. The victory is always ours when we trust not in our own strength and the arm of flesh, but in the name and the power of the Lord!

You may have been facing difficulties in your home or your place of work, with enemy activity, or the betrayal of a friend or close associate, but take heart! Be assured that God is on your side and fighting on your behalf, and when God is for you who can be against you? He is the helper of the helpless. He is the champion of the weak. He is our refuge and our strength, our very present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1). Jesus is the fortress we can hide in, and the strong tower to which we can run, and Hehas supernatural guidance and direction to help you overcome every challenging situation.

When Elisha’s assistant saw the great army of Arameans surrounding their city, he panicked! He said to Elisha “Oh my Lord, what shall we do?” He was very troubled and fearful, and was probably wringing his hands with anxiety! Elisha knew God had a perfect answer to their problem. He could see into the spiritual realm, so he saw the mighty forces of the heavenly host arrayed around the comparatively puny soldiers of Aram. As he shared this vision with his terrified assistant, he reminded him that the angelic forces with them were mightier than the forces of Aram. While Elisha prayed that God would open the spiritual eyes of this man to see the army of the Lord, there was no way he would see into the supernatural dimension unless he resisted fear. This is why Elisha cautioned him and said “Don’t be afraid”. Fear hinders our ability to hear from God and destroys the peace in our hearts. It clouds our vision and thinking. Also, everything of the Spirit is accessed by faith, and fear destroys faith. God speaks to us through His Word, as well as through dreams, and visions, (amongst a variety of other ways), but if

our hearts are clouded with fear, there is only room for confusion.

When Elisha prayed, the spiritual eyes of his assistant were opened, and he saw the horses and chariots of fire - a heavenly vision of the powerful protection which God had sent to stand between His people and the army of the enemy. Although not visible to the physical eye, it was the reality of what surrounded these men of God. The unseen dimension is just as real as what the eye can see! Whatever difficulty you may be facing right now, know that God has commissioned a divine guard around you. Warring angels have already been dispatched to fight on your behalf. You may be fearing some backlash of the evil one, or a weapon raised against you, but the Word of God says (Isaiah 54:17) that no weapon formed against you shall prosper, and no tongue that rises against you shall stand. You can be an invincible storehouse of power, as you walk in the covering of the Almighty God.

So let me encourage you, precious child of God, that God has not left you. He is with you. He loves you with a love that is radical and extreme. It is a love which made Him lay down His life for you. If you were the only person on earth, Jesus would have still come to die for you! You are very precious in His sight and He will never leave your side. He is standing by you, defending you from the bully out there, and ready to take on any enemy who seeks to exploit or abuse you! Remember that God’s protection and covering are upon you. By the power of His spirit, He will raise up a standard against the enemy when you are under fire. He will guide and direct you so that you can escape unhurt from every trap that is set against you. He will deliver you from fear and open your spiritual eyes to see the powerful protection He has commissioned to stand guard at your door, go before you as you step outside, and sit on the hood of your car as you drive! So the next time you face a challenging situation, desist from panic and

anxiety. Instead, remember:

1) God is on your side. He is fighting on your behalf.

2) Seek divine direction -you will be shown what to do.

3) Resist fear

4) Ask Jesus to open your spiritual eyes. You will see or feel the forces of the Lord around you who are far greater than those of the enemy!

Remember that the battle is the Lord’s and you are the victor. Angels are all around you, and they have been commissioned to fight on your behalf. I pray (as Elisha did) that your spiritual eyes will be opened to see into that other dimension God makes possible for us to see, not only in times when you need the assurance of divine protection, but always. You were meant to see the things of Heaven - it is your home!

May you walk in the victory that God has for you. May you be filled with the peace of Jesus. May the Holy Spirit open your spiritual eyes!

Chapter Seven

Looking At The Heart

(1 Samuel 16:6-13)

“When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” Jesse then made Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the Lord chosen this one.”Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.” So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered, “but he is tending the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.” So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy with a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; he is the one.” So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power.”

This chapter is about being guided by the voice of God. It talks about a situation many of us may have experienced when faced with making a decision. If we did not have access to the wisdom of God, we would choose what we thought was best, deciding on the basis of what we saw with our physical eyes. This may not be the correct decision.

God had instructed the prophet Samuel to go to Bethlehem, the town of Jesse, and anoint one of his sons as the king of Israel. When the family met Samuel, seven young men were introduced to him, and he would have anointed the wrong man, if he had relied on his own understanding and his physical senses. Proverbs 3:5 says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”This is difficult to do, because we may have relied on our intellect and understanding from our infancy. We spend our lives educating and developing the five senses. We feed the body three times a day. (Some of us more often, and some less!) We may consciously feed the mind a few times a day, although information is constantly fed into our minds consciously or unconsciously, as thousands of subliminal messages hit us at different levels during the course of each day.

We have naturally focused more on the physical aspects of our life (the body and mind), and when we are born again, many of us do not realize the need to feed our spirits as much as (or more regularly than) the way we feed our flesh. It is as the spirit man is fed and grows strong that the voice of God becomes discernible, and the voice of our spirit becomes loud enough to influence the mind, the emotions and the body.

When Samuel saw Jesse’s eldest son, Eliab, he reached for his anointing oil. Eliab was handsome, tall and kingly, and Samuel assumed that this was God’s choice. We have fixed ideas about how the servants of God (or others) should look, sound and act, and similarly, Samuel thought: “this man looks like a king”.

However, God was moving on a different track. He said to Samuel: “Do not consider his appearance”. God is not impressed by the outward man. He is not swayed by the works of our hands or the words that we speak, unless they are flowing out of the abundance of a sincere heart. He looks first at the heart! God’s word cautioned Samuel to keep still and keep his heart opened to hear. It is interesting that this mighty prophet of God had the same logical rationale that we might have had. He drew a conclusion based on the positive outward appearance of Eliab. This is why we so need the guidance and direction of the Lord, who is always willing and ready to speak to those who sincerely seek His heart. James 1:5 says “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” The onus is on us to seek God and ask Him for wisdom and direction, and He is faithful to show us the way.

All Jesse’s sons were brought before Samuel, but he received no green light from the Lord as they were introduced to him, one after the other. When he had seen all the boys, Samuel asked Jesse if there were any more sons because he knew that if God sent him to this place, there had to be another son somewhere who was the chosen one. David was the youngest, and we can see that he was so little regarded by his family that they had not even thought of having him join them when they met Samuel. But “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things, and the things that are not to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him.” (1 Corinthians 1:27-29). His thoughts are so different to human reasoning, and if we relied on our own understanding, we would be taking the wrong steps all the time. (Isaiah 55:8 & 9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.) How much more do we need Him to tell us what steps to take as we walk the difficult path of this earthly life.

God’s hand was on all those sons of Jesse, and

He had plans for each of them. “Eliab” (in Hebrew)

means “God is father”, while “Abinadab” means “the Father is generous”. “Shammah” means “the Lord is there”. Each of these boys were precious to God, and

anointed for some specific purpose. (We know from Chapter 17 of 1 Samuel that some of them served as warriors in the army). However, because Samuel was led by the voice of God, he did not settle for ‘good’ when God had the best to come.

When David was brought from his sheep in the fields, Samuel heard the Lord saying what he had been waiting to hear “Rise and anoint him; he is the one.” Samuel obeyed the word of the Lord, and we are told that “the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power.” The whole course of history could have been different if Samuel had not waited and received the direction of the Lord! The power of God was released into the life of David, and through him, into a lineage, and into the life of the nation (and the world), because Samuel heard and obeyed. Samuel was instrumental in bringing God’s plan for the earth to pass. David became the mighty king of Israel and an ancestor of the Lord Jesus Christ.

There are some threads of Truth we can draw from this passage of Scripture, which can change the way we live our lives.

Know that God’s choice will be very different to your natural choice – He sees the heart, and He also sees further down the road than you can.

God usually reveals His wisdom step by step.

Samuel was first told to go to Jesse’s town, and he saw the first seven sons, before he saw the chosen one. You will rarely get the whole picture at the start!

Do not settle for ‘good’ when you can receive God’s guidance and have the best He has for you.

Be patient and wait for God’s full revelation. Any time you are being rushed into a decision, know that you are being led by the wrong voice.

Always check back with God if you are not sure about what you hear. Samuel asked Jesse if there were any other sons, because he knew God had not approved any of the first seven.

Know that God will release great power and anointing into your life and situation as you learn to hear His soft voice and obey!

Friend, start to seek the guidance of the Father in every decision you have to make – in your ministry, relationships, work and finances, in your going out and coming in. You will see how His wisdom and direction fills your life with anointing and victory. It is the road to power because you will be walking in Daddy’s perfect will!

May your heart be ever open to the voice of the Spirit as you hear from Heaven. May you overcome every obstacle that stands before you, and may you know God’s love and power flowing in and through your life in a whole new way, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

Chapter Eight

Revelation Road 1

(Luke 24:13-27)

“Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus Himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing Him.

He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked Him, “are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

“What things?” He asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed Him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified Him; but we had hoped that He was the One who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find His body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said He was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but Him they did not see.”

He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter His glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself.”

The exact location of Emmaus is not clear, but Luke describes it as being seven miles from Jerusalem. Its name is derived from the Hebrew word hammat, which means ‘hot spring’, and it has been identified with three different towns, by different scholars (El-Quebibeh, Qaloniyeh or Colonia, and Amwas or Nicopolos).

Of these two disciples, only Cleopas is mentioned by name. The name Cleopas has a Greek origin and is an abbreviation of the name Cleopatros, which means “son of a renowned father”. As the two friends walked along the road, they were talking about the recent events they had witnessed -the crucifixion of their Teacher and Friend, and the news the ladies had brought them (Luke 24:9-11) that the tomb of Jesus was empty. They had a long walk and a lot to discuss, as they spoke about Jesus. They may have been recalling the things He said about His death, the many things He taught them, and the manifestations of power they saw through His life and ministry among them.

It was Resurrection day, but the disciples did not really understand that Jesus had risen from the grave. As these two forlorn friends began the seven mile walk from Jerusalem to Emmaus talking about Jesus, He suddenly, appeared beside them, and began walking with them although they did not recognize Him as their Lord!

When Jesus asked the friends what they were talking about, Cleopas concluded that Jesus must be a visitor, because the recent events had been such a sensation in the city. It was all so painfully real to them that they could not explain casually as they walked along; they had to stop, as they relived the heartbreak and disappointment of the death of Jesus. They described their broken dreams as they said that they had “hoped” that He would be the One who would “redeem Israel.” They spoke of Him as a “prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people” although they knew by then that He was the Son of God and the Savior of the world. The fact that they had been ‘amazed’ about the women finding an empty tomb shows us that they had forgotten all that Jesus had told them during the latter days of His ministry with them. He had already explained everything to them, and assured them that He would rise again on the third day after His crucifixion.

Jesus rebuked the two men and told them they were “slow of heart” to believe all that the prophets had spoken! Luke 12:48 tells us that “from everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded” and these disciples of Jesus had been blessed with much teaching and revelation. They had walked with Him and experienced His anointing from day to day. Their hearts should have been quick to tune in to the supernatural dimension, and to see the empty tomb as evidence of everything already foretold by their Master and Friend. They should have been expecting and anticipating the miraculous resurrection of Jesus, and rejoicing even before they saw Him alive. Instead, they were puzzled and confused, and not sure what to believe! They were walking around discouraged, downcast, and defeated because of their own unbelief.

However, Jesus is in the business of restoration! He always seeks to build us up when our faith is weak, and encourage us back, through His Words, to where we ought to be. As He and the two friends continued to walk the seven miles to Emmaus, Jesus explained the Old Testament Scriptures which spoke about Him. For about 2 hours or more, their hearts were filled with the living revelation which fell from the lips of Jesus. Their hearts were ‘burning’ (Luke 24:32) as they listened to the Words He spoke. It was probably like being at their very own personal revival meeting as their hungry spirits were fed and they were filled with faith!

While we will look at the rest of this Scripture in the next chapter, we can take some threads of Truth from the encounter these two disciples had on the road to Emmaus.

1. What we focus on becomes big in our lives. Here, Jesus appeared where His name was spoken and He was remembered. The same is true if we focus on the negative aspects of what we are facing in life - they become bigger and more real! You may be experiencing a time of disappointment or pain, but it is time to stop thinking and talking about the problem. Focus instead on the ultimate Solution - Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life! As you focus on His Word and seek Him through worship, you will experience His presence and peace, and receive His guidance, directing you to victory.

2) You may not recognize God’s presence as you face the difficulties and disappointments of life, but He is there alongside you. He walks this earthly path with you. He has promised to be with you always, right to the end of the road. (Matthew 28:20). His Word promises that He will be with us through the difficult times we face: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” (Isaiah 43:2). Once you place your hand in His, you are in covenant with Him forever; He is with you through thick and thin!

3) Faith is a matter of the heart. God wants us to grasp with our hearts what He seeks to show us. What we see or hear from God may not always make sense in the natural and to our rational minds, but if you can receive God’s Word in your heart, and believe it, you open yourself to the dimension of the miraculous, where “all things are possible for him who believes”! (Mark 9:23).

4) Standing on/remembering God’s Word spares us confusion and anxiety. Jesus had told His disciples (prior to His death) that He would be crucified and then raised up on the third day. However, when things really began to happen, they were shocked and confused; they forgot that they had been forewarned as well as reassured about the final outcome. While we often have to face unexpected challenges, we can remain unshaken when we remain in the Word, which is settled eternally in Heaven and never changes. It is forever true (Psalm 119:89) and will never return void (Isaiah 55:11). Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever! (Hebrews 13:8).

5) Focusing on Jesus brings spiritual revelation. Only He can remove the doubts and fears that destroy our faith. Only He can brush away the clouds of confusion, and make our paths clear before us. Jesus is the Word who became flesh (John 1:14), and as we feed on the Word and begin to live it, it becomes flesh to us - it becomes powerfully real, and life changing. The Holy Spirit takes it and renews our minds, as He gives us “the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16) and enables us to walk in the same faith it takes to heal the sick and raise the dead - that ‘Jesus’ kind of faith!

6) Cleopas and his friend were focused on the death of Jesus, even though they heard His tomb was empty. Although the resurrected body of Jesus probably looked very different, a part of the reason why they did not recognize Him could be that their hearts were not open to the possibility that He was alive. This is why Jesus told them they were ‘slow of heart to believe’! Hebrews 11:1 says that “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” I challenge you to begin to change the way you see your life. Be sure of what you hope for in Jesus Christ! Know that when you expect the miraculous and the impossible, this is what you will see. Right now, things may seem pretty bleak from where you are, and the signs you see may be discouraging and daunting; but know that all God’s promises to you are “yes” and “amen”. When you see them with the eyes of your heart and receive them in faith, they will surely be fulfilled in your circumstances! Live in the daily expectation of miracles and see your dreams become reality!

7) Remember that we can all be a Cleopatros and Cleopatra - a son or daughter of a renowned Father! Our Daddy is the richest, strongest, most powerful, and most loving Father, and the Lord of the universe! Let us walk in the confidence, assurance, and authority of whose we are and who we serve. We carry royal DNA!

God is with you and cares about you. He wants to do great and mighty things in your life, so dream big dreams, and see them fulfilled as you focus on Him!

Chapter Nine

Revelation Road 2

(Luke 24:28-35)

“As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if He was going further. But they urged Him strongly, ‘Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.’ So He went in to stay with them.

When He was at the table with them, He took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him, and He disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when He broke the bread.”

Cleopas and his friend had just spent quality time with Jesus, as He taught them from the Scriptures, and fired up faith within their hearts. They knew there was something special about this man who walked with them, but they were unable to see what it was. By the time they reached Emmaus, their hearts were so saturated with the Words of Jesus that they were ready for revelation! As night was falling, they pressed Jesus to come into the house with them, although it looked like He was continuing on. (In the culture and day, travelers normally stayed overnight in the home of a hospitable person who would invite them in to break journey.)

Jesus was invited in as an honored guest. However, when they sat down to eat, He took on the role of the host, because breaking the bread and pronouncing a blessing was normally the duty of the host. It was still the week long Feast of Unleavened bread which began the Friday before with Passover. When Jesus took the bread, lifted it up, blessed it, broke it, and gave some to the two men, a light came on within them both. Suddenly their spiritual eyes saw who sat before them. They were not of the twelve who had been at the Last Passover Supper, but they must have eaten with the Master many times, and seen Him break the bread and bless it in the same way. Their hearts probably beat faster, as revelation began to dawn upon them.

When Jesus gave each of them the bread, they saw the palms of His hands. They saw the nail marks – deep holes, still encrusted with dark, dried blood, wounds that spoke of pain, of sacrifice, and of a life that was given for theirs. The wounds were the evidence of His love! When they saw those hands they knew without a doubt that this was Jesus. What further proof could they have needed? They touched those wounds when they received the bread, and they touched Love. They touched salvation, healing, deliverance, and everlasting life. They touched the greatest, most fiery passion this world has ever known – the Love which lays down its life for a friend; the love which gives unconditionally, and loves the unlovable; the Love which counts no cost. They touched revelation! They touched powerful, eternal, absolute Reality. They touched the hand of God!

We are told that Jesus vanished from before them, the moment they experienced the revelation of who He was. It was further evidence that this was no ordinary man – it was Jesus, the Son of God who had risen from death. They reflected and realized that their hearts had been ‘burning’ within them only because it was Jesus who spoke the Word. They got up and walked briskly back to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples what had happened, only to find that they had a similar story to tell!

Precious friend, God has deeper revelation for us all. There is so much He wants us to know and experience, and it all comes when we hunger for more and allow His Word to burn in our hearts. Because He is awesome Infinity, there is no limit to how much we can know of Him, so wherever you are in your walk with God, there is more, and still more! Being connected to Jesus has to be the most beautiful and exciting relationship anyone could ever have!

There are some threads of Truth which can be drawn from this passage of Scripture.

1) Jesus came into the house and stayed with them because they wanted His presence and urged Him to stay. Jesus comes where people are hungry for His presence and long for Him to stay and have His way. There are too many believers who will never know the reality and the excitement of His physical presence because they never sought Him or longed for Him to come and stay. Spending quality time in the presence of Jesus brings deeper revelation and sensitivity to the supernatural.

2) The Word (bread) brought revelation. Jesus had been “breaking the Bread” to them all along the road to Emmaus. Spiritual secrets are revealed when we devour the Bread of the Word. It works deep within our spirits to burst forth with life and power. Jesus said to the devil in Luke Chapter 4 that man could not live on physical bread alone but on the Word (spiritual bread) that proceeds from the mouth of God. In John 6:35, Jesus declares “I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” Jesus is the “Word made flesh and dwelling among us” (John1:14).

3) They saw the wounds of Jesus – When Jesus broke the bread, the two men saw the wound son His hands, with blood still barely dry upon them. This was the beginning of their revelation. We enter a relationship of revelation only through the precious blood of the Lamb of God who died for us. This is the first revelation – of salvation and deliverance through the Blood of Jesus. This is the doorway, and the entry into the supernatural dimension.

4) Their hearts were burning within them. As they looked back on their walk with Jesus, they realized that their hearts were ‘burning’ all the while He explained the Scriptures to them. Our hearts are the best witness of the presence of Jesus and the reality of His Word. As we read or hear the Word, it touches our hearts – the inner being. If you hear the Word being spoken and feel no stirring in your heart, then it would be possible to say that there was no presence of Jesus upon the speaker or the message. Spiritual revelation happens through the burning of the heart. It stirs faith; it brings understanding. There cannot be revelation without the burning and stirring of the heart.

5) Revelation brought release. The men had hitherto focused on their disappointment, and had seen the crucifixion of Jesus as a desperate defeat. Suddenly they were able to see beyond the pain of the cross. They were finally seeing into the awesome power of the resurrection, and that the death of Jesus was all a part of the plan. There is always something good that can come out of even a situation of pain. If we could look beyond the disappointments and difficulties of life, we would see a blessing and higher spiritual ground. Greater faith, patience, empathy with the pain of others, and a deeper reliance on the One who sees us through it all. The power of the Resurrection could have never been possible without the pain of the cross.

6) Revelation brought supernatural strength and power. They had started the seven mile walk to Emmaus weary and discouraged, but revelation brought revolution, and they were immediately filled with strength! Suddenly they saw the world in a whole new light. Although it was dark by now and not usual to travel at night, they were refreshed and invigorated and so motivated to share the good news with the other disciples that they set off enthusiastically on another brisk seven mile walk! I think we could all use some of that supernatural Holy Spirit energy which comes from the revelatory Word and translates into faith for healing and victory.

Dear friend, resolve to seek the presence of God, and move on to a higher level of spiritual revelation and understanding. God has so much He wants to reveal to you which lies beyond the mundane melodrama of this earthly life. All the glories and eternal joys of Heaven are for you, and you can begin to experience them here and now because you are a citizen of the Kingdom! All you have to do is to seek and you will find; to hunger and thirst, and you will be filled. You are the very precious and beloved child of the King!

Chapter Ten

Stairway to Heaven(Genesis 28:10-15)

“Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth with its top reaching to Heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. There above it stood the Lord, and He said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

Jacob was a long way from his home and family. He had incurred the wrath of his older brother when he deceived their old and blind father, Isaac, and stole the blessing of the firstborn. To save his life, he had no choice but to flee from his home and take refuge with his mother’s people in another land.

Jacob was travelling from Beersheba to Haran. Beersheba was named after the well that Isaac had dug there many years before (Genesis 26:33). “Beersheba” means “The Well of an oath” or “The Seventh Well”. It was symbolic of the Covenant that God had made with Abraham many years before, which Isaac and his sons became a part of. (Genesis 21:27-33). It was also symbolic of the oath of peace which Isaac made with the Philistine kings in Genesis 26:31. Jacob had grown up in this heritage of peaceful relationship with God and man, but he violated this when he lied to his father and unlawfully took the blessing which belonged to his older brother. He lived up to his name, which means “he that supplants, undermines; the heel”!

Jacob was doing something difficult, and leaving everything that was familiar and comfortable, but he was walking into his destiny. He was travelling to Haran, which means “mountainous country”. He was leaving his life of coveting and deception, and heading for higher ground. All his life he had been his mother’s boy, but he would not be able to lean on her and walk in her protection any more. He was going to have to stand on his own feet and learn to trust God. We may never truly experience all that God has planned for us until we are uprooted from what is familiar, step away in faith from what we are propped upon, and go where we are called to go.

When Jacob lay down to sleep at the end of the day, he rested his head upon a stone, which he may have padded with some clothing. He had a vivid dream as he slept. He saw a glorious vision of angelic traffic climbing up and down upon a stairway between Heaven and earth. He saw God above the stairway, who revealed Himself to Jacob as the God of Abraham and Isaac, the God he had heard about through his fathers but never met for himself! God gave Jacob the same promise of blessing which he had given to Abraham and to Isaac. This was a revelation from God, a heavenly encounter, which changed Jacob’s life and brought him into commitment and faith.

Many of us can relate to Jacob. He was on an upward journey when he experienced this powerful living revelation of God. Jacob experienced a glimpse of the sights of Heaven! There is a world of the supernatural which we will never see with our physical eyes until we decide to turn away from those things that keep us bound to the earth, and seek, in faith, to climb upwards. As we purpose to break free from the lies of the devil, and shake off the sins that keep us down, we begin to step towards that heavenly vision. As we begin to open our hearts and our lives to the living presence of Jesus, and focus on Him instead of the things of the earth, the Holy Spirit picks us up, floods our thinking, and takes us on a new journey towards an open heaven! God desires

to bring us into deeper, higher revelation, which is possible only through the cleansing blood of Jesus, and a complete surrender to the working of the Holy Spirit. He gives us what our hearts are hungry for – more of Heaven!

Many of us may receive divine messages when we are asleep, because our minds and hearts are so under our control during our waking hours. We may not hear from heaven while awake because we may have closed the doors of our hearts to the possibility of divine visitations. Jacob had lived all his life among those who worshipped God, but he had never been challenged to walk in holiness or seek the things of the Spirit. It was when he was repenting before God, alone in a dark, strange place and distanced from everything familiar, that he experienced the very real presence of Jehovah and received Him as his Lord. God began a new work in him. God set him on a journey of divine revelation, and a new level of holiness and sanctification was required of him as he stepped towards higher ground.

As Jacob stepped into a covenant relationship with God, God gave him many promises:

1) Divine provision for him and his generations. (The land was to belong to him.)

2) Divine increase. (“Your descendents will be like the dust of the earth”).

3) Expansion of territory. (“You will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south”).

4) A ministry which was blessed and anointed and would pass to his descendents! (“All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring”).

5) God’s presence and protection (“I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go”).

6) A divine guarantee that all His promises would be fulfilled (“I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you”).

7) Eventual restoration to the home and family he had run away from in strife. (“I will bring you back to this land”).

This is a powerful set of promises, and ones we can all appropriate today. God often prepares us to hear what He is doing in our lives through a divine dream. We see this in the lives of people like Paul, where God showed him a dream, and then spoke to him about obeying it. We see it in our own lives, as we experience direction and confirmation through heavenly dreams. Jacob was seeing something he had never seen or known before. He could have been too shocked or scared to believe it, but he saw the divine nature of the vision that was given to him, and received it. As he watched the angels ascending to Heaven and coming down to the earth, his heart and spirit were open and made ready to see something even more awesome and unimaginable! He saw God Himself, standing above the angels, in all His awesome, radiant glory, and dazzling power! As he looked up into the blinding radiance of glorious God, his spirit heard the voice we all love to hear – the voice of God, and the many precious promises poured out upon his life. God was not holding his deception and deviousness against him. God saw him through the finished work of the cross of Jesus Christ, the eternal Ladder between Heaven and Earth. God saw him as pure and perfect because he gave himself to Jehovah. Jacob was heading for blessing because he had surrendered his heart to the living Lord!

Friend, God has released so much revelation, power and blessing in the heavenly realms towards His children. As Paul said in Ephesians 1:18 and 19, I pray that the eyes of our hearts will be opened to see what God wants us to see, and to hear His voice of revelation and direction. If we receive a promise from God, it is backed by a divine guarantee! There is no way it cannot be fulfilled in our lives, unless we refuse to receive it and walk in faith for it.

Jacob encountered the supernatural presence of God and angels when he stumbled upon a place where there was an open heaven. Beersheba was a place of covenant blessing, which was symbolic of generations of worshippers who built altars to Yahweh, the true and living God. It was a place where man had fellowshipped with God. As we worship and hunger for the presence of Jesus, and sow continuous seeds of prayer and worship, we will experience His anointing like never before, and His presence will be tangibly established in our midst. We will encounter a stairway to heaven! Get ready to encounter angels and angelic visitations, as God takes your life in a new direction. Jesus said to Nathanael (in John 2:51) “I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man”.) You can be that open heaven, because Jesus lives in you, and He is the stairway!

Remember what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 2: 9 & 10 “ No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him, but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit”! When we open our hearts to the Holy Spirit, He reveals to us the mysteries of Heaven! Live in expectation of the divine dimension. Expect to have a heavenly visitation. God is taking you upwards towards greater glory. May you walk in that blessing!

Chapter Eleven

In The Presence Of God (Genesis 28:16-19)

“When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”

Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of that city had been Luz previously.”

When Jacob woke up, he knew that what he had seen was no ordinary dream. The sense of God’s presence was so strong around him that he said “God is here!” God had given him a glimpse of the spiritual dimension which he had never seen or thought about before. He saw a stairway between heaven and earth, with angelic traffic upon it. The voice of God echoed in his heart as he awoke, with promises which were emblazoned upon his soul. The vision of God standing at the top of the staircase was etched on his memory forever. As long as he lived, he would never forget this night and what God had chosen to reveal to him. He had stepped up on to higher ground. His life would never be the same again. All his life, God had been to him a distant being for whom he fulfilled rituals and sacrifices. After this supernatural encounter, his eyes were opened to the reality, love and nearness of the One he worshipped.

Jacob said “The Lord was here and I was not aware of it!” God almighty had been with him all along, and he had not known His presence! It was when he had a supernatural encounter, and came face to face with the eternity of heaven that he understood the significance of the words God spoke to him: “I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you”. God had made a generational promise to Abraham, Isaac, and now to Jacob. He had been with him always. His covenant was for eternity, and Jacob became aware of this when he heard God say that He would never leave him. He is a ‘forever’ God! His promises are not just for today or tomorrow, but forever! So do not despair if your children or your parents refuse to walk in the will or the knowledge of the Lord Jesus and the power of His Spirit. Claim His promises which are yours eternally! His mercy

and love are not just for today, and not only for us. His love extends to generations. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Hallelujah!

He is also a ‘people God’. This is why He made

us social beings who can find joy and fulfillment in

fellowship with Him and with each other. While God loves and cherishes each of us individually and intensely, His heart goes out to the nations, the cities, the families, and the generations of the earth. He cares about people groups and longs for them to come into the center of His purposes. God has specific plans for families and nations. He has a divine purpose for every ethnic group and tribe across the earth. This is why He raises up prophets, apostles, and evangelists and sends them to the corners of the earth. This is why He places on our hearts a desire to pray for and reach out to people groups in other nations as well as in the nations we live in. God’s heart is for the people He placed on this earth, whether they acknowledge Him or not. In the last chapter we saw how God told Jacob that not only would he and his children be blessed, but God would use their lives to bless “all the peoples on the earth”. God desires to bless us in every aspect of our lives, so that we live in the abundance and fullness of His love. But He also desires that we reach out to others (in prayer and in person) and bring that same abundance and blessing of body, spirit and soul to every life He brings across our path. It is worth thinking about this, and asking God to show us who He wishes to bless through us, and what we need to do.

Jacob had fearlessly lied to his father, and exploited and cheated his brother on more than one occasion. He had conspired and deceived, and never feared God; but he was so overcome by the reality of God’s infinite presence that the Word of God tells us ‘he was afraid’! Proverbs 1:7 says that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” Jacob began to receive knowledge and understanding as he experienced a reverence for the One who was revealing Himself to him. He saw that this was not the distant Deity with whom he made bargains in the past. This was omnipotent and almighty Adonai who was to be feared and worshipped! In his vision, he saw God standing at the top of the stairway to Heaven. The angels climbing up and down it were glorious and awesome in themselves; but Almighty God was higher than them all; He was standing at the very top of the ladder, in Heaven. While focusing on the grace and love of God, we often forget that He deserves our reverence and respect. He is high and exalted and the name above every name. He is the Ruler and Judge of the universe, and the Creator of everything. He is our loving Father, but He is also a God to be honored and revered!

The glory and majesty of God was so beautiful to Jacob that he said ‘how awesome is this place’! He was awake but unable to open his eyes because he had been experiencing the brightness of Heavenly light! God’s presence had made that dry desert of rocks and sand an awesome and glorious place filled with life and power. The thick darkness of the night had been lit with the iridescent, colorful light of Heaven. The active movement of angels, as they travelled between Heaven and earth may be a reality we do not normally think about, but it became real to Jacob that night. God’s presence was so strong that there was transformation, in the place and on the person! Jacob said “This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.” When God’s presence comes into a place, it becomes a doorway, an Open Heaven. It becomes an opportunity for transformation because He is a God of transformation. When Heaven comes upon the earth, anything is possible! Jacob knew this was the gateway, and the beginning of a journey of spiritual revelation and understanding which God wants for us all. Lord, let Your Kingdom come! Let Heaven fill the earth!

Jacob probably fell asleep again under the sweet anointing of God. What he had experienced in the night was still so vivid within his spirit that it was the first thing he thought about as he got up. Divine dreams are not to be forgotten, and need to be recorded. God frequently speaks to me through dreams and visions, and recording them in my journal makes it possible to see a sequence of lessons, or a pattern of preparation for some supernatural event or new season.

We are told that Jacob took the stone he had been sleeping on, and raised it up as a pillar. (It may have been more like a bed than a pillow). He poured oil on it and named it ‘Bethel’, which means ‘house of God’. Jacob had experienced such a spiritual awakening that he knew there could be no real dedication to God without the power of the Holy Spirit. The pouring of oil was symbolic of the infilling and anointing of the Holy Spirit on his person and upon his destiny. The closest town was called ‘Luz’. According to the Hitchcock’s Bible Dictionary, this means ‘separation’, and ‘departure’. Jacob had to separate himself from his old life of deception, and depart from the family and place he had been nurtured in, to find the new life God had for him. God sometimes permits us to go through the turbulence of radical change in order to take us to higher ground in Him. ‘Luz’ also means wood or (almond) tree. The significance of this is the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, and our need to allow God to pick us up and separate us from every thing we depend upon, and everything that defiles us. It reflects the need to allow ‘self’ to be crucified as Jesus was. It is as we lay ourselves down and allow the sweet Holy Spirit to be poured out upon our lives that we can consecrate ourselves to be a living tabernacle - Bethel, a house of God, and the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). He is a God of Consecration. When we give ourselves to Him, we can belong to no other!

May the power and presence of God fill your life, precious child of God. As you read these words, may Papa’s special anointing to receive dreams and visions be imparted to you. May you experience Him afresh in glorious dreams as Jacob did. May you encounter angels, as you allow the presence of God to flow through you, and may you be that open heaven for those who seek to touch the love of Jesus. May Jesus live through you - as a lover of people, as a keeper of promises, as an agent of transformation, and may your life be a living sacrifice, a holy temple, filled with the Spirit, and consecrated unto the name of the Lord. Expect great things! The Lord is lifting you to higher ground.

Chapter Twelve

Bethel (Genesis 28:18-22)

“Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz. Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father’s house, then the Lord will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”

This was the turning point in Jacob’s life. He had met with God and heard His voice. He was born again! He set up a pillar in that place as a monument to his revelation of God and the new life he was called to live. Divine encounters are not to be forgotten, and the place and the moment were recorded for eternity, a memorial forever before God and man.

All his life, Jacob had never lived to the full potential that God had placed within him. He preferred to linger by his mother, and potter around the kitchen in his comfort zone, rather than go out hunting with his father and brother. He had always taken the easy option, getting what he wanted by exploiting the disadvantage of another (which he did to get his brother’s birthright), or by deception (to get his brother’s blessing). His mother had always been around to make life easy for him, and cover up his shortcomings and mistakes, but he was now alone in the desert, and far from home, because of her. Instead of helping him to acknowledge his sin, repent, and make amends, she had urged him to run away to her brother’s home, to escape the wrath of her elder son Esau! Jacob’s life had been a mess, but he had reached a crossroads, and he was on the road to revolution. Things were changing. He had met with God and his life would never be the same again. The pillar was meant to mark this radical realization. Whenever he was tempted to fall back into his old sloppy pattern, or compromise with sin, he would remember the pillar and know that he could not go back. He had to keep moving ahead because his life was no more his own. He belonged to God.

Jacob had thought he was running away from the revenge of Esau, but when God spoke to him, he realized that he had been running away from God for most of his life. It was only when he was alone and far away from the security of home that his heart was receptive to God. When he was separated from the one who had shielded and protected him and not helped him to be accountable, he finally took responsibility for his sins and for his life. The voice of God opened his spiritual eyes. It was not difficult to run away from his brother, but there was nowhere he could run to get away from the voice of God. The Lord who had a covenant relationship with his father and his grandfather caught up with him, and when he experienced the powerful revelation of God’s reality, he knew his life had to change; he had to stand up and be a man of God. It is impossible to encounter the living Lord and remain the same!

To varying degrees, we all may tend to run away from the voice of God rather than to stand still and take responsibility for our actions and decisions. It is easier to blame someone else for something that happened (or happens) rather that to face the fact that we were (or are) ultimately responsible. God catches up with us in the end, and when we have nowhere to look away but upwards, we have no choice but to surrender to His mighty hand and receive His healing and deliverance. God may sometimes lead us away from everything and everyone we leaned on, to help us to look up to Him and receive His uplifting hand. This is when true freedom comes. He is our source of life.

It is significant that Jacob poured oil on the pillar and called it ‘Bethel’ (House of God). It is not possible to be a man or woman of God without the enabling and anointing of the Holy Spirit. In this crazy, hyper-pace, anti-God world in which we live, there is so much pressure to just flow with the currents, and compromise the Word of God which is our standard. But when God pours out His Spirit upon those of us who hunger and thirst, we are empowered to live to please Him. We are enabled to live to the fullness of the potential He has placed within us. We are able to stand for Him and be counted.

Jacob prayed his first prayer! As he poured oil on the pillar and consecrated it to the Lord, he was also consecrating the rest of his life to the ownership and service of the God who had revealed Himself to him. When God appeared to him, he had received many promises: Divine provision and increase, expansion of territory, and the ability to be a blessing to others, God’s presence and protection, and eventual restoration to his home and family (Chapter Ten). What a deal! Jacob was now accepting the promises of God for himself. He brought himself under the authority and lordship of Yahweh as he received the promised provision, protection, blessing and restoration. He vowed to live his life to worship and honor God. When he submitted his finances to God, and promised to be diligent with the tithes that were owed, Jacob discovered a supernatural key to walking in God’s blessing – giving.

There are many precious promises in God’s Word, which we are all entitled to receive if we are the Blood bought redeemed of the Lord Jesus Christ. However, to see these promises fulfilled to perfection in our lives, there is no other way than to surrender every aspect of our lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and the transformation that the Holy Spirit brings. Many Christians obey God’s Word selectively (especially when it comes to finances), and this is not really obedience. As a result, many people never truly walk in the full potential of the blessing of God, and never see His abundance flowing into their lives. Obedience in the area of tithes and offerings may often open the way to breakthrough in other aspects of our lives as well. Jacob made a commitment to the Lord that day, and as he surrendered his heart and life, he also laid his pocket book down on the altar. From that day forth, he never lacked for anything, and walked in extraordinary blessing, especially towards the latter days of his life. God prospered him in every way, kept His promises to Jacob, and brought him back to his own land some years later.

Friend, God wants this message to lift you up and

encourage you. He also wants to speak specifically

into the hearts of three groups of people through this message:

1) Parents: The Lord wants us to teach our children to be accountable to Him. If we shield them and gloss over their failings, we only make it difficult for them to accept responsibility for their lives, to experience repentance, and to surrender to the loving hand of Papa God. We have to trust our Father to do what is best for them!

2) Precious people who have suffered mental and/or physical pain in the past, (perhaps

as children or teenagers): Jesus is asking you to bring that pain before Him and lay it at His feet. Stop running away from the Spirit of God. He is calling you to be still before Him and receive His healing Word. There is so much God wants to do in and through your life, but to see it all come to pass, you have to stop avoiding the voice of God and allow Him to step in and help you. He knows what is best for you. He has open heavens for you and plans you cannot begin to imagine! Stop looking back and blaming the past for your present. God has an awesome future for you!

3)Those who live in partial obedience in some area of their lives (including the area of tithes and offerings): Total obedience is not an option! It has to be our life. God is calling us to surrender to His Word and His Will. Remember the sweet Spirit enables us to do what we naturally cannot do. As you come before the Father, and begin to put things right with the help of the Holy Spirit, you will see the most incredible blessing flooding your life, and every spirit of darkness taking flight, as God’s grace begins to fill everything you do.

May the Spirit of the Almighty be upon you and may you see all God’s powerful promises to Jacob fulfilled in your life, for the glory of the name of Jesus, Amen!

Chapter Thirteen

“Unless I see…” (John 20: 24-28)

“Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them “Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe it.” A week later His disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said “Peace be with you!” Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”

This is an account of one of the Lord’s post resurrection appearances to His disciples. The friends of Jesus had just encountered Him, and were so overjoyed and excited to have met the One they had been mourning for (John 20:20) that they shared the news with Thomas, who had not been present at the time. Thomas however, would not believe that they had met with the risen Lord, which is why people often refer to him as ‘Doubting Thomas’! In fact, when he finally saw the Lord he did believe, and became ‘Thomas the Believer’. This chapter contains a snapshot of how the doubter became a believer.

In the world today, people expect to see before they believe, but in the Kingdom, we need to believe to see! Thomas was a close associate and follower of the Lord Jesus; someone who had walked by His side and travelled with Him over a period of 3 years. He had heard the teachings of Jesus and knew what the Lord said about being crucified and raised up on the third day. He had seen first hand the many miracles - the healings, the feeding of the multitudes, how Jesus raised the dead, calmed the storms, and delivered the demonized. He knew Jesus was no ordinary person. He was blessed and spiritually enriched just by being around the Master. Although Thomas is remembered for doubting, he was actually a brave and loyal man who loved the Lord (John 11:16) and followed Him faithfully. However, he found it hard to believe his friends when they told him they had met the risen Lord and spoken with Him. He decided that he would only believe if he saw and touched the wounds on Jesus’ hands and side!

When the Lord was arrested, punished and crucified, something happened to the faith of all the disciples. These were strong men who had walked with Jesus and seen mighty manifestations of power. However, on top of the horror of seeing their Lord tormented and given a criminal’s execution, and the sense of loss his death brought, they also experienced a sense of extreme disappointment. Their hopes had been resting on the establishment of an earthly kingdom, because they had not fully understood that Jesus came to usher in a new spiritual Kingdom - the Kingdom of God! When the Lord was raised up on a cross, and then placed in a tomb, their hopes were shattered and their world fell apart. Their expectations of ruling and reigning in a new kingdom by the side of their Master were gone and their morale was at a very low ebb. This is why they were meeting behind closed doors - for fear of persecution from those who crucified Jesus. They felt very vulnerable and powerless.

How is it that these close friends of Jesus Christ could be so discouraged and defeated? Why was it that Thomas did not remember (or believe) the words the Lord Jesus had spoken while He walked with them? How could this man who had preached the Word of God, healed the sick, and cast out demons now doubt the divinity or existence of the Lord? Doubt had taken the place of faith in his heart. Despite his experiences of God’s power and truth, his disappointments had robbed his faith and now his heart was wondering if anything he had believed for would come to pass.

Much of the time, we walk through life on a level which is less than what God designed for us. The Father desires that we feed on His Word, walk by faith, and live in the supernatural power of His Spirit. He wants us to keep our eyes on Him, not allowing ourselves to be swayed by the circumstances of life, as we believe for the fulfillment of all His promises to us. Our faith may be high at times, especially when things are going well for us. However, when circumstances are less favorable and we find ourselves facing disappointment and discouragement, it becomes a slippery slope unless we continue to keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

It could be that you have struggled continuously with situations that have had you feeling helpless, and although in your heart you know God loves you, you feel that nothing can change the circumstances you are in. There was a time you believed that things could be different, but lately you are not so sure and you feel that you need a sign to help you along. You are in the same situation Thomas was, the day he said he needed proof to believe. Be strengthened and know that Daddy wants to minister to you today!

In this passage of Scripture, we see how Jesus came through locked doors to minister to Thomas and show him the wounds he needed to see. Our lack of faith creates a locked door between us and the Lord. It raises walls which hinder us from walking into the fullness of our blessing. However, that closed door was no barrier for the Lord Jesus! He came right through it, and reached out to Thomas.

Friend, the Risen Lord is reaching out to you today. Jesus showed Thomas His wounds and invited him to touch His hands and sides, and to see and believe. He does the same today as He calls us to look upon His wounds and believe. Those wounds are a reminder of the cross He went to for you and me. They are a reminder that His blood was shed, the blood which bought forgiveness of sins and new life for eternity. He paid a painful price, that we might be free, and know fellowship with the Father in the fullness of the Holy Spirit. The wounds remind us that because of the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, today we are joint heirs with Him and have access to all the goodness and blessing that God promises us in His Word. We only have to believe! The Spirit is urging you today to come back to that place you first saw His wounds; to see afresh what He has done for you; to fall in love with Him once more; to stop doubting, and believe for all the glorious, unimaginable power and greatness that God has in store for you. He has plans to prosper you! (Jeremiah 29.11)

Jesus met Thomas at his point of need. When Thomas was weary, discouraged and disappointed, and had lost his faith in God, Jesus reached out to him. Jesus brought him to a place of absolute belief, a place of revelation and restoration. When Thomas saw the wounds of Jesus, all his doubts melted away. He believed with all his heart, acknowledging without any reservations that Jesus was his Lord and his God! (v28). Thomas the Doubter became Thomas the Believer when he encountered the wounds of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Friend, if you have been weary and discouraged, and feel that your faith is not what it was, open the locked doors and break down the walls that stand between you and the Lord Jesus. Allow Him to come through so that you may see His hands and His side. Jesus wants to be Lord in your life! Will you hand it all over to Him and let Him take His place? Let His wounds draw you back to the place you should be, and the Holy Spirit will enable you to give your wounds over to Jesus. You may have suffered much, but as you receive the revelation of His extreme love, He will bring healing, restoration and life to you.

Let the blood stained wounds of Jesus call you back. Come back to your first love, my friend. Come back to that moment you first gave your life and heart to the Master, when you were filled with joy and believed for the impossible. Those should have been your wounds, your scars, but Jesus paid the price! Give Him your heart afresh today. He is worthy of your love and adoration. Rejoice and be glad - He is calling you to a deeper, closer, sweeter walk. May you fall afresh in love with the King! May His Word for you be fulfilled as you believe!

Chapter Fourteen

“Blessed Are Those Who Believe” (John 20:26b-31)

“Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.”

The last chapter was about how Thomas doubted that the Lord Jesus had risen from the grave until he saw and touched His wounds for himself. When Jesus appeared through locked doors and showed Thomas His wounds, Thomas’ response was: “My Lord and my God!” He believed with all his heart as he let go of doubt and yielded to the love of Jesus.

The disciples met fearfully behind locked doors, still trying to get to grips with the events of the preceding few days, which were the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus, and now His resurrection. It was at such a time that the Lord Jesus appeared through the closed door specifically to minister to Thomas (John 20:19-20).

There is much revelation we can receive from these verses of Scripture. When we read through the Gospel books, it is clear that everything the Lord Jesus did during His ministry on the earth was with a specific purpose, and He always followed the will of His Father. It is very special for us to know that Jesus should take a step to help Thomas believe, because He does the same for you and me! There are many people who compare themselves to other faith-filled Christians and feel condemned that their faith is ‘small’. Know that all you have to do is ask the Lord to help you believe (Mark 9:24). The Lord Jesus will meet you at your point of need. If you are truly hungry to experience more, and want greater faith to believe for the impossible, the Lord Jesus, by the power of His Spirit, will come through every locked door of your life, and begin to minister faith into your spirit, allowing you to see His hands and His side. How can we (today) look on those precious wounds from which life blood flowed to bring cleansing from our sins?

Firstly, by seeking Jesus in the Word. Every time you come back to the Word, you come back to the wounds - the love of God made manifest through Jesus, and the atonement sacrifice of the Holy Lamb of God. You come back to the cruelty of the rugged cross upon which our Savior died, and the cleansing blood which flowed instead of yours and mine. Each time we face the cross, each time we look upon the wounds, each time we feed on the Word, faith grows from within the depths of our being, and like Thomas, we believe!

Secondly, it is exciting that we can ask for a true experience, or a vision of the wounds of Jesus. His wounds are real, and His hands still carry the scars. His blood truly flowed, releasing infinite power for victory, salvation and healing, and Jesus wants us to see and know what power there is in His shed blood. During a recent time of family prayer, as we prepared to partake of the communion and prayed over the matzo bread and grape juice, my husband Manju had an open vision of the Blood. Our son was not feeling very well, and we were praying for his healing. I had been reading from 1 Corinthians 11, and proclaimed with force the power of the Blood of Jesus to heal and restore as it says in verse 29 and 30. (“For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.”) This verse tells us that the full power of the blood of Jesus is manifested when we recognize it for what it is. As we proclaimed the healing virtue resident in the Blood, we were discerning or recognizing its power.

God showed Manju the grape juice overflowing from

the cups, and it was real blood, deep red and bubbling over with a life of its own to cover and soak into the bread upon the plate. So great was its physical power that it steamed like liquid nitrogen! We were meant to understand that everything the Blood touched was instantly impacted. This has completely changed our perception of the blood of Jesus. It has become so real to us, as we have begun to see its infinite physical power.

There is something precious about the humility and sincerity of Jesus as He exposed His wounds to His disciples. What a leader! What a man! If these men could get to a stronger position by seeing His wounds, Jesus was ready to exhibit His wounds to them, even though they were scars which marred His body, holes in His hands and His side. He told Thomas not only to look at them but to touch them as well, even though they may have still been raw and painful. Most people find it hard to admit their failings and weaknesses. They may hate to remember past difficulties through which the Lord took them to higher ground because they think it makes them look ‘bad’. It is time for us to get real and stop portraying an image of perfection! It is time for us to learn from Jesus, to humble ourselves and be transparent before the people God has placed us with; to be willing to acknowledge our weaknesses and if necessary, to seek forgiveness for mistakes made, so gaining victory over the evil one who wants us to hold on to pride, to hide our failings, and be bound by them. There is higher ground, and so much freedom and victory in doing this. Wounds that are covered up never fully heal. I remember skinning my knees as a child, and after the initial protection and covering of the wound with medication, it would have to be exposed, to receive fresh air, develop new skin and be healed as good as new! Wounds and scars when exposed under the love of God can be powerful testimonies of God’s healing work and can be the source of inspiration for many. Wounds do not have to be denied or hidden away, and can bring glory to the name of the Lord! May the blessed Spirit also help us to be sensitive to the wounds and pain of those He brings into our lives, and may we receive His supernatural guidance and direction to bring healing and restoration to them.

Another precious truth we see in this passage is the desire of the Lord Jesus that we have faith in Him. We are told that Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of His disciples which are not even recorded in the Word of God (they were so many!), but these miracles in the Word were recorded so that we would believe in the reality and divinity, and the life giving power of Jesus Christ, the Son of God! Friend, God is calling you to a higher walk. He is calling you to a deeper faith. If you receive of His Word and allow your faith to grow, there is nothing that will seem impossible to you, because you will see through the eyes of faith! ‘Without faith it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him’ (Hebrews11:6). In this passage, Jesus’ description of faith is simply believing without seeing! Faith is taking God’s Word for what it is - the infinite potential for impossibilities to become possible in Jesus’ name! When we walk in faith we please our Lord, and open our lives to the mighty miracle working power of Heaven, because we are able to believe for anything. There is nothing that we are unable to receive if we can believe for it - spiritual, physical, or material! The Lord fulfills our faith, and His name is glorified. When we walk in faith, believing the truth of God’s Word in our lives, it is possible to experience the blessed peace which Jesus spoke upon His followers when He appeared through the locked door that day. Walking in faith brings the ultimate sense of peace, because we are walking in the assurance that God holds our lives in His hands! Jesus is saying to you today ‘Peace be with you’. His peace is a rest from striving. His peace is a cessation from struggle. His peace is total surrender and a deep inner joy which says ‘God loves me and hears me’!

May you walk on higher ground from today. May it be a walk of faith, a walk of peace, and a walk of divine expectation. May you experience the miracle working power of the Lord Jesus exploding into every area of your life! Be filled with the precious,

powerful Spirit of the Living Lord and believe!

Chapter Fifteen

A Holy Temple (Luke 19:45-48)

“Then He entered the temple area and began driving out those who were selling. “It is written,” He said to them, “My house will be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers”. Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on His words.”

Luke’s account of this dramatic cleansing of the temple happened soon after Jesus travelled into Jerusalem for the last time before He was crucified. As He approached the city, He wept over its spiritual state (Luke 19:41), and when He walked into the temple, He set to work straight away, “driving out” those who were doing business in the house of God.

The Lord Jesus was filled with fiery zeal (although there is no specific mention of Him being angry). He was doing what God wanted done, and He had every right to take the measures He did, because it was His Father’s house which was being desecrated!

Jesus quoted Isaiah 56:7 which says “....for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” God’s desire was always that people of every nation, tribe and tongue would come to know His saving grace through Jesus Christ and draw near to His glory. As Jesus walked into the temple, He saw people of all nations represented there, but they were not seeking the presence of God in this place of prayer. Instead, what He saw was a lot of haggling, the exchange of money, refuse and litter from the trade of typical eastern merchants, and the waste products of hundreds of animals and birds kept in the outer courts, defiling the place of worship and even carried into the inner courts on the sandals of the worshippers. Instead of echoing with the soothing sounds of worship, the Holy Place was filled with a cacophony of birds twittering, and the bleating of sheep and goats. Instead of the sweet smell of incense wafting through the air, the smell of sheep dung dominated. It is no wonder that the Lord Jesus could not endure it!

The temple had its own currency, and people who came to purchase sacrifices or pay their temple tax (which was required of every man, woman or child) had to use the services of one of many money changers who did business in the outer courts. These people exploited the worshippers, charging them more than was necessary, while the men who sold the animal sacrifices had no qualms about selling weak or defective animals, although they knew these would not be acceptable to God. It must have been doubly distressing to Jesus that some of the ‘traders’ in the temple were really priests, who should have been focusing on the aspects of worship in the temple, instead of being preoccupied with ‘unholy’ things. Jesus called them all a den of ‘robbers’!

All the activities taking place in the temple had the final objective of worshipping God, but there was something very wrong. Instead of pleasing God and doing what He required, the people were doing things their own way. There was defilement in the holy temple because the world had been brought into the house of God. The spirits of mammon were being exalted and the lust for money and power worshipped. There was no reverence for Yahweh, because there was no revelation of His reality. Proverbs 29:18 says: “Where there is no revelation the people cast off restraint…” It is not possible to please a person you have no love for, or obey someone you have no revelation or understanding of.

There are multiple aspects to this message. Firstly, I believe that Jesus wants to do the same sweeping cleansing of the church at large today. He has been merciful and extending grace to the servants of the Kingdom, and the people of God, but in these last days, He is calling us to cleanse the House. Too many earthly kingdoms are being built at the cost of God’s Kingdom and the honor of His name. Too many lives continue to head for eternal damnation while sitting within the courts of the sanctuary. Instead of being a place of worship, prayer, and the fear of the Lord, the temple may have become a place of fun and social interaction, business connections, political activism and sometimes even financial excesses and exploitation. Instead of Spirit anointed worship, we may be offering to God well rehearsed songs which entertain the congregations, while people come in and go out with their lives untouched and unchanged because they never encountered the Glory. I believe the Lord is grieved when He sees the rivalry and division between (and even within) churches, and the lack of mercy and love. God says in Hosea 6:6 “I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings.” He wants to manifest His end time anointing within the inner courts of today’s temple. He wants the church to prepare for the second coming of His Son. However, although the Bride has been busy doing many things, she has not begun to make herself ready.

The second aspect is the cleansing of the ‘personal’ temple. Paul said to the church in 1 Corinthians 3:16 & 17 “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.” And in 1 Corinthians 6:19 & 20: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”

The Lord is calling His people to begin to nurture and nourish their own temple, in which His Spirit dwells. As Paul said to the Corinthians, we are not our own - Jesus redeemed us with His own life blood. If Jesus is the Lord of our lives, we belong to Him - our temple is His. Paul wrote that if anyone destroys God’s temple, they set themselves up for destruction! God deals very strongly with those who damage or desecrate His temple. Sometimes, the child of God can be his/her own enemy in terms of not guarding and nurturing the temple. Many of us work 7 days, and never take a Sabbath; or we may work through the night and deprive our body of rest. We do not maintain the temple with regular exercise and relaxation, and some of the food (and other substances) we take into the temple can be quite destructive to it! While we may be very affronted if someone tried to harm our temple, we fail to see that we are really sinning against the Lord when we neglect our own well being and expose ourselves to what is harmful.

Thirdly, the Spirit of God seeks to bring cleansing to the personal temple in terms of what we as followers of the Master take into our minds through what we read, watch and listen to. He is looking for us to radically change what goes into the temple through the eye gate and the ear gate. He also sees what we have allowed to remain in our hearts and minds, which defile and pollute us, and hinder our spiritual growth. Unforgiveness, pride, offence, envy, criticism, and hypocrisy, among many other things, are as poison to the temple of God. They are no different to the animal waste, which Jesus was so disturbed to see defiling His Father’s house. It is abhorrent to Him and makes the temple unclean. He loves us and longs to be with us, but this makes it difficult for Him to stay. The brother of Jesus wrote in James 3:9-12 “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.” Light and darkness cannot mix!

I believe the first step towards cleansing the temple is repentance and restoration. (Even as I write this message, I feel the Holy Spirit helping me to remember and repent, of many negative things I have said and thought in the recent past). We can then ask the blessed Holy Spirit to have His way in us, and fill the temple with His presence. As we feed on the right ‘food’ (not just for our physical life, but feeding on the fresh manna of the Word, and walking in its cleansing power), the presence of Jesus will be manifested increasingly within and through the temple as it becomes a place He delights to dwell in. Remember that the sweet Spirit helps us to do what we cannot naturally do – He is our holiness and cleansing!

Finally, In this passage, there are three kinds of

people besides Jesus :

1) The people who were buying and selling in the temple. (Folk who use the Gospel and the Lord to their own advantage or personal betterment. They have no desire to serve the Lord or commit their lives or substance into the Kingdom).

2) The chief priests, the teachers and the leaders of the Jews who were plotting to kill Jesus. (Those who are within the establishment of the church but against the moving of the Holy Spirit and not in agreement with everything in the Word. They are more in line with the spirit of the age and the spirit of the world, rather than with the Spirit of the Lord and the Word of Jesus. They may also be very good and upstanding people but walking in a religious spirit).

3) The people who admired and loved Jesus and ‘hung on His words’. (Faithful disciples who are following the Lord because they love Him and live their lives by His Word. They are committed to Jesus for better or worse and obey Him whatever the cost).

My prayer is that we will all belong to the third group - disciples of the Lord Jesus, walking with Him, and living in submission to His Word and His Spirit. These are the disciples who keep the temple clean! These are the ones who constantly seek the Lord in prayer and worship, and stand as a beacon of light in this dark world, drawing men and women of other nations/ faiths to the revelation of Jesus. These are the ones who the Lord looks at and says “She/he is my house; a house of prayer for all nations”!

The Father loves all His kids, but these are the temples who delight His heart, because they hold His presence as sacred and holy, and make their lives His habitation. These are temples which are filled with the Spirit and regularly cleansed to make room for Jesus!

May God’s Spirit and His Word be the cleansing power in your temple, and may the Lord Jesus give you the strength and power to throw out every thing that does not belong in it. May your temple be filled with the Holy Spirit and be a place where people meet with God. You are a holy tabernacle, in which the precious Spirit loves to dwell - a house of prayer for all nations!

Chapter Sixteen

From The Ends Of The Earth (Psalm 61)

“Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you,

I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

For You have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.

I long to dwell in Your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of Your wings.

For You have heard my vows, O God; You have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

Increase the days of the king’s life, his years for many generations.

May He be enthroned in God’s presence for ever; appoint Your love and faithfulness to protect him.

Then will I ever sing praise to Your name and fulfill

my vows day after day.”

This little Psalm is a beautiful expression of David’s heart, and one we can all identify with. It was written after David had come to the throne, and probably during his time of exile from Jerusalem, when he had to flee from his son Absalom. Facing the betrayal of his own flesh and blood and the loss of his throne, he became a man on the run in a distant land. Fear followed him as he fled from his son who intended not only to usurp the throne but kill him as well. His fortunes had changed overnight. From being the king of his castle and the head of the nation, David was suddenly not sure if he would be alive the next day, as he became a fugitive under a death threat. His life was filled with uncertainty and confusion. Imagine the heartache he experienced when he thought about the treachery of his own son! He was not even sure anymore whether some of the people in his life were friends or foes. He was having a very bleak time!

David was far from the tabernacle, which was seen as the abode of God. It was the place to which he would go daily to seek God, and offer his sacrifices of worship. Although he was distanced from the place he normally met with God, he cried out to God from where he was. He called on the name of the Lord, and demanded God’s attention and response! Of those who claim the name of Jesus some are content simply to perform their rituals; others are happy when they have prayed their prayers to God. But the disciples of the Lord seek His response and make their voices heard. David shouted to God with all his might. He cried out to God and was determined to make himself heard! This psalm shows us what we need to do to overcome the attacks that come against us – cry out to God, even from the ‘ends of the earth’!

When we are in distress, it sometimes feels like God is very far away, and we may feel like we are calling out to Him from the ends of the earth. Being away from the tabernacle of God’s presence and the place of his calling made David feel like he was very far away, even though he was only about 2 days’ walk away. His troubles made him feel like he was separated from God, but he cried out to God anyway. He was weak and weary, overwhelmed with the struggle, battered mentally and physically, but he knew that once he climbed on to the “Rock” he would be safe. This evokes the image of a little child who is afraid or needs some help. He knows his mother is somewhere in the house but he cannot see her because she is in another room; so he lifts his voice and shouts her name out loud, calling her to come to him. This is faith!

Charles Spurgeon (1834-92) wrote about a rocky cliff on the northern shore of England, where sailors would frequently be drowned after being shipwrecked, because they had no way to climb up the steep chalky rock face to safety. One day a priest painfully cut steps into the face of the hard rock, which made it possible for shipwrecked sailors to get out of the stormy seas and on to the rock to safety. The steps made it possible for them to climb safely on to the refuge of the rock that was higher than they were, and higher than the raging ocean. We may try to stand on our own strength or wisdom, but we stand on shaky ground. We may think we can save ourselves by our own efforts, but the waves of our circumstances can knock us down, wash right over us, and even submerge us completely. But when we call on the name of the Lord, and begin to climb those steps (the blessed Holy Spirit) which take us higher, to stand on Jesus, the rock of our salvation, we finally stand safe! He is our refuge. He is our strong tower against the enemy poised to attack us. He is the unshakeable wall behind which we can hide. He is Christ the solid Rock, our firm foundation!

David had been banished from Jerusalem and the tabernacle, but he longed to be in the holy place, offering sacrifices of worship at the altar. He knew there was no safer place than in the presence of the Lord. There was no better joy he could ever know than in worship. When he was in God’s holy presence, he knew he was covered by the “shelter of His wings”. David remembered how good it was to be with the Lord. He recalled the promises he had made to God in the past, and how the Father had received his vows and blessed him. He thought about the goodness of God and felt blessed to be a child of God. In the face of a threat on his life, he asked God for protection and long life, and for the opportunity to be back upon the throne, serving God and His people.

God heard David’s prayer and responded. We know from the book of 2 Samuel that David ascended his throne again a few days later, and he lived a long and prosperous life. His throne passed on through the succeeding generations, until the birth of Jesus (a descendent of David through His human bloodline), whose throne is for eternity. So what did David do that turned his situation around? He prayed!

We live in a fallen world and there are times when we all have to deal with difficult and sometimes painful situations. When faced with an unexpected challenge we may step into ‘emergency mode’ and rush into action, without doing the most important thing that needs to be done before anything else – prayer. Too often we turn to the arm of flesh, when our first step out of the stormy waters is to call on the name of Jesus. Stop relying on your earthly friends, and start seeking God! Even the Lord Jesus cried out to God as He hung on the cross, saying “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”

So precious child of God, there is no point running away from God or His people, or isolating yourself when you experience difficulties and disappointments. It is fruitless to blame Him or anyone else, or turn against the ones who care for you. Just call on the name of Jesus. Cry out to God! He alone is our refuge and our strength. As you sincerely seek Him, the precious Holy Spirit will pick you up and lift you out of the stormy seas, to fill you with peace once more, direct your way, and place you firmly on Jesus, the Rock that can never be moved.

There are a few tips we can take from David:

1) David called to the Lord, even though he felt far away from God and lost in his troubles.

2) David cried to the Lord with all the passion of his heart. He poured out his heart to the Lord, with a loud voice. He was determined to be heard.

3) David sought a response from the Lord. He said ‘Listen to my prayer’! He was not content with a one way conversation. He meant ‘answer me’.

4) David did not depend on another person’s prayers for him – he exercised his own faith and stood on his relationship with God.

5) David committed to worship God and serve Him always.

You may be going through a difficult time right now, but believe that God wants to take you to a higher place, and to greener pastures. Know that as you cry out to Him and seek Him, He will be found by you (Jeremiah 29:13). Even though you may have experienced the betrayal and attack of those you trusted and loved, you are standing on the Rock of ages, who does not change like shifting shadows, the Giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17).

Perhaps you feel that sin has come between you and the Father, and that there is too much distance to bridge. The blood of Jesus cries mercy on your behalf! It may seem to you like God is very far away and you are calling from the ends of the earth, but He is only a prayer away. When you call to Him in your trouble, He will answer you and lift you up. (Psalm 91:15 – “He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.”) God loves you and has good plans for you, and as you decide to get on your knees and seek His face, you will see a transformation, and the breakthrough you are waiting for.

May the Lord bless you and answer you when you call. May you see radical answers to radical prayers and experience the power of standing on the Rock!

Chapter Seventeen

Divine Appointment (John 20:10-16)

“Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. “Woman,” He said, “Why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking He was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have put Him, and I will get Him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned towards Him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means ‘Teacher’).”

This chapter is a reminder that we can all walk in the miraculous power of the glorious resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ! It is a message of life and hope.

Mary Magdalene was the first to visit the tomb of Jesus, before dawn on Resurrection day. When she found that the stone had been rolled away, she made haste to share the news with John and Peter, who came to check out her story for themselves (John 20:1-9). The men went back to their homes however, while Mary hung around, seeking the Lord, longing for Him and weeping for His sweet, familiar presence. Encountering Jesus had changed her life. She loved Him for all the holy healing and freedom He had blessed her with. Jesus released her from a life of bondage and oppression, and gave her a second chance. Now she refused to accept that everything He stood for was over and gone. She sought answers which she knew only Jesus could give.

It is interesting that Mary was not taken aback or fearful when she looked into the tomb and saw angels where the body of Jesus had been. When they addressed her, she calmly spoke with them, and told them she was looking for the body of Jesus. It is also worth noting that Peter and John did not see the angels, who may have been sitting there all along! Mary had tapped into the divine dimension, through her loving longing, her waiting, and her hunger for the presence of Jesus! She was not willing to go back home and think about the good things that had happened before the crucifixion. She was going to wait there until He showed up, and seek until she found Him!

Jesus always shows up when people seek Him with all their hearts. Jesus was standing behind Mary, but His post-resurrection appearance was different - she did not recognize Him, until He said her name. Jesus knew Mary. This was the lady who had anointed Him with costly perfume and prepared His body for burial. It was Mary who had wept at His feet and received the freedom and forgiveness that only Jesus could give. She loved Him with all her heart, and Jesus knew this. He saw her tears; He heard her prayers. He saw her longing to be in His presence once more. She mistook Him for one of the gardeners at first, but when she heard His voice, when He said her name, there was no doubt in her mind that this was Jesus. She knew she had found the One she was looking for!

Mary looked beyond the horror of the cross, and she encountered the power of the risen Lord. While the other disciples wept and regretted the past, and thought of the many “might have beens”, she sought answers, as she looked for the presence of Jesus. She knew with all her heart that this was not the end and pressed on to find the better thing that was her portion. God had much in store for her!

Many of us look back and regret the mistaken decisions of the past. We may focus on yesterday, on what is gone and cannot be changed. Many of us look at tomorrow with anxiety and hopeless eyes, when there is so much life and hope in today. God wants to do something mighty in your life today. He has already released the potential for the answer to every prayer you pray. He is able to change your situation now and today! His power is real, His Word is true. Please hear what the Lord has to say to you from this passage of Scripture today.

1)The past is dead and gone. Jesus says to you “Why are you weeping?” Today is filled with powerful potential and promises to be fulfilled. Stop weeping over the disappointments you may have had to face. Stop punishing yourself about the times you fell, or the steps you did not take. There is life and hope, freedom, forgiveness and healing today in Jesus. If you have Him, you have everything!

2) You may feel like you are alone or that Jesus has left you or forgotten you – but He is right where you are; all you have to do is whisper His name and seek Him. All you have to do is offer Him your heart. He is knocking on the door of your life. He is looking for relationship with you.

3) Hunger for God opens us to the supernatural dimension – Mary encountered angels. She met with the risen Jesus. There is so much we could see and experience in that other dimension, if we believed and expected. God wants us to experience Heaven here on earth. We are spirit beings who have been created to enjoy all the supernatural realities of eternity!

5) Jesus knows your name! He knows who you are, where you are coming from, and all the desires and hopes of your heart. He loves you like no one else can. He calls your name today, and seeks that you walk in fellowship with Him, in sweet and intimate heart to heart union. He will never leave you unless you ask Him to – He is the friend who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24). He is the lover of your soul.

6) Mary sought Jesus and found Him (Jeremiah 29: 13 – “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”) Peter and John looked in the tomb and then went back home when they found it empty. They missed out on a blessing! Mary, however, may have had many things to do, but she put everything aside as she waited and sought, and hungered to encounter once more the beautiful presence of the Prince. She was not disappointed. Jesus said to her “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father”. It was as though He was saying “I shouldn’t be here, but I am, so don’t hold on to me”. As He was on His way to the Temple in Heaven, carrying the Blood to the mercy seat, He heard her prayers, He felt her cries. His heart was drawn to where she sat and waited, believing and knowing that she would see her Lord again. Jesus - the Son of Almighty God, and Savior of all humanity – was arrested by the longing in the heart of Mary. He heard the cries of this woman. He stepped aside from divine duty to come and speak her name and touch her life once more. He is drawn to our longing. He is drawn to our love. He changes direction when we sincerely cry out to Him and call on His name! He comes where people seek Him with all their hearts.

7) Finally, God would have us remember that our disappointments can be His appointments! He may close a door only to open a bigger and better one. When the Lord Jesus died upon the cross of Calvary, His disciples experienced great disappointment. They had expected Jesus to be the triumphant conqueror of Roman rule, and the one who would bring political freedom to the nation Israel, but in a matter of hours, He was hanging upon a cross, while they all lived in fear for their lives. However, after the cross came resurrection. The seed had to die, for a great harvest to come. The death of Jesus became the power of life for all humanity for all time.

Precious friend, God loves you and has awe some plans to prosper you (Jeremiah 29:11). Let the powerful promise of the Resurrection bring you into a new season of blessing and victory, and hope; a season of divine revelations and angelic visitations. Know that God holds you in the palm of His hand. Your face is engraved upon His heart. He has promised He will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). He is able to do “immeasurably more than all we could ask or imagine according to His power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20). “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him, but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 2: 9 & 10, and Isaiah 64:4). When you offer your life to Him, He will exceed your every expectation, and fill your life with His glorious and powerful presence. Because “the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you” (Romans 8:11), you are a powerhouse of potential. I pray that you will walk into all the abundant blessing that Jesus died and rose to give you! He is alive. He can be reached today!

Chapter Eighteen

Many Rooms (John 14:1-2)

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.”

This message is for all Daddy’s precious sons and daughters who need to hear His voice today. It is a reminder that you do not have to carry the weight you are carrying. You can lay your burden down at His feet today, and trust Him to work it all out in your favor. He is large and in charge! He is able!

Our hearts become ‘troubled’ when we lose our peace, and this happens to us all on a daily basis. There are many times that I have left my morning time with God feeling His rock solid peace guarding my heart, but not far into the day, something hits me unexpectedly, and I realize that my heart is ‘troubled’, as negative feelings swamp out the super serene peace I stepped out with! This is something we can all identify with. We can lose our peace for many reasons, but mostly when we become anxious, fearful, angry, or confused.

Proverbs 4:23 says “Above all else guard your heart for everything you do flows from it”. This implies that it is up to each of us to ‘guard’ the state of our heart, and keep the peace in it as a fortress, undisturbed by the issues of life. When our hearts are troubled, everything else in our lives may be affected, as our perceptions may be different at these times, and we could even make decisions which are not the best. A troubled heart is unable to focus on what God is saying, and to receive His direction and His words of encouragement. A troubled heart loses contact with the presence of the Lord, because fear may have come in and pushed out faith.

We live in a day when disaster seems to be all around us, in the nations of the world, in the environment, as well as morally, socially, financially and politically! Tuning into the news through the media is just ‘bad news’! Most of us also face personal issues which have the potential to derail us and push us over the edge. Jesus gives us clear direction through His Word so that we can stay on track, and keep our heads held high, no matter what we see around us.

Do not let your heart be troubled. As you step into each new day, make a conscious decision, (maybe say it out loud to yourself), that you will not let your heart be troubled. Decide that you will not allow fear, anger, anxiety or dismay to rattle you. As you walk through each day, there will be literally hundreds of opportunities for you to step into a negative reaction, or simply decide that you will not let it grip your heart. Jesus says ‘do not let’ it happen. “Do not let your heart be troubled.” It is up to you. If you understood that in every situation you face, there is a potential trap from the evil one, as well as a potential opportunity for spiritual victory, then you would allow the fruit of self control to be manifested in you each time, and move on, with that ‘good’ feeling of having overcome! This is something the Holy Spirit helps us to do.

Decide to choose faith instead of fear. Jesus says “Trust in God; trust also in Me”. God so loved the world that He gave His only Son Jesus, that all of us who believe in Him shall not perish but instead, have everlasting life (John 3:16). How many of us would lay our own lives down in a horrible death we did not deserve, so that someone else might go free? This is the heart of the Father, and He has proved His love to us through Jesus. Jesus has proved His love for you and me, by becoming who we are and taking our pain, our sin and shame. He has proved Himself – He is trustworthy! We are always faced with the choice of whether to trust God or trust ourselves and our circumstances. Let us believe Proverbs 3:5, which says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Make the wise choice each time – trust Him! He can do a much better job of managing things for us than we can!

The issues we face are temporary. However frustrating, painful or unjust your problems may seem, remind yourself that they are just for today and tomorrow. Jesus reminded His disciples that He was going to prepare a place for them in His Father’s house, where there are “many rooms”. The Lord Jesus would have us begin to focus on the eternal pleasures of heaven, and awaken to the truth and reality of all its glorious beauty. You and I were created to fellowship eternally with the Bridegroom in heaven. It is our real home. He is preparing ‘rooms’ for us – precious revelations of that perfect life, where there will be no more death, no more tears, no sickness, parting or pain! It is a life of thousands of angels praising God eternally in perfect unison. It is the bliss He has ordained for us, and a fulfillment of everything we were ever meant to be – completeness and completion within the perfect uniting of the Bridegroom and the Bride. I have not yet had a visit to heaven, but I wait in eager expectation to experience what many others saw, who have returned to share its joys. It is a beautiful place where the Godhead lives, where we will know a joy sublime forever. As it is written in 1 Corinthians 2:9: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”. Until then, we have been given all the power and authority to walk in faith and draw heaven to earth!

Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us, but He has sent His Spirit to prepare us for the Place. There is no way we can live in this crazy world and keep our peace each day, without the power of the Holy Spirit, who fills us with the peace of Jesus. Ephesians 2:14 says “For He Himself is our peace…” while Galatians 5:22 reminds us that peace is a fruit of the Spirit. Each time we decided to trust God and not give in to the invitation to lose our cool, we over come. It is like jumping over a spiritual hurdle and going on to higher ground! Each challenging situation can be a stepping stone to another level, in the school of the Holy Spirit, and a preparation for those beautiful rooms Jesus is preparing for us in that other place. So the next time you find yourself stuck on the highway in a traffic jam, or you arrive at the airport to be told that your flight was cancelled, remember that you have a choice – to go with the flow of your flesh, or give in to a higher order – and surrender to

the teaching of the Holy Spirit! There can be a beautiful opportunity in everything!

May you purpose to walk in the power of God’s peace from this day forth, and may you choose to trust Him in every situation – Jesus is preparing better things for you!

Chapter Nineteen

Under The Fig Tree

(John 1:43-51)

“The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, He said to him, “Follow me.” Philip, like Andrew and Peter was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the One Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, He said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.”

“How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the

fig tree before Philip called you.” Then Nathanael

declared, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw

you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things

than that.” He then added, “I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

This passage of scripture is about how Philip and Nathanael became disciples of the Lord. It also tells us how the heart of the Father longs to show us the glories of Heaven! He opens the divine doors of revelation to those who have a seeking heart. There is always another level, and yet another, as we go through doors within doors, first learning to follow (as Jesus said to Philip) and then having our spiritual eyes opened as we begin to see (Philip said to Nathanael “Come and see”), and then going on to experience those “greater things” which Jesus promised Nathanael would be shown to him from Heaven.

Nathanael was taken aback when he approached Jesus with Philip, and Jesus declared that he was a “true Israelite” in whom there was nothing false”. He may have wondered if Jesus had checked out his credentials before they met! When Jesus told him he had already seen him before Philip invited him to meet Jesus, he was completely blown away!

Just a little while before this, Nathanael had been very doubtful about the authenticity of Jesus, and had said to Philip “Can anything good come from Nazareth”? Jesus knew his concerns. He knew Nathanael’s doubts, and what he had said to Philip. He saw his skepticism as he approached Jesus. In fact, Jesus knew every detail about Nathanael’s past. He had ‘seen’ him eternally. Jesus was aware of all the times and seasons of Nathanael’s life, sad or joyful. He had seen him in his struggles, and in the challenges he faced. Jesus understood his every moment of testing and temptation, and the times he fell. Still, He called him a ‘true Israelite’ and one in whom there was “nothing false”!

Jesus saw Nathanael (as he does you and me) not in the light of his past, his failings, or the sins he had committed. Jesus saw him for all the potential he was created with, and all the greatness he was born for. And now that he had encountered His Savior, Jesus saw him as righteous, forgiven, washed in the blood, a perfect new creation; a new man, because the old was gone and the new had come (2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.”) As Jesus spoke, Nathanael probably felt uncomfortable and guilty about what he had said, and how he had doubted the sincerity of Jesus. Our failings are ever apparent to us, and the devil is quick to remind us about the sins of the past; they never seem to be too far away! But our Father never sees a stain of sin. He has removed our transgressions from us as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). We may fail him many times in any day but 1 John 1:9 is true: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” The first time we encountered Jesus, He forgave us the very moment we repented and asked for forgiveness. Now He sees us as His perfect new creation. He sees us as ‘true Israelites”, forgiven friends of the Father, in whom there is no falsehood, because we have put on Christ, and there is no lie in Him. (Galatians 3:27: “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”) He sees your heart. Despite every struggle to ‘make the mark’, Jesus sees the sincere desire in your heart to please Him. He sees you as someone ‘true’ in whom there is nothing false! It is time to shut the door to the voice of the accuser and start listening to the voice of God in His Word, which tells you how precious and loved and completely forgiven you are.

As Nathanael listened to the Lord, he experienced the revelation of Jesus’ true identity. Suddenly he saw the truth of what Philip had said to him when he invited him to come and meet Jesus. He understood the piercing light in Jesus’ eyes. He felt the power of His anointing as he stood by his side. He felt the burning in his heart as he listened to His voice and realized that this was indeed the One Moses and the prophets wrote about in the Law. He burst out “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel”. He called Jesus “Rabbi”, confessing His prophetic office. He called Him the “Son of God”, acknowledging His divine nature and mission; He called Him the “King of Israel”, because Israel belongs to God, and if Jesus is God, He is King over Israel. Nathanael had to bow his knee to the Lord of Lords and confess His Lordship over everything. Never again would he say “can anything good come out of Nazareth?” He knew what he knew. He had encountered Jesus and his life would never be the same again!

The first revelation of Jesus is never the last! What Nathanael had witnessed in seeing the operation of the prophetic gifts in Jesus was powerful. But Jesus promised him that he would see greater things than these. Not only would Nathanael see in the Spirit as he had seen Jesus do, but Jesus promised him heavenly visions and angelic visitations, all possible because of being in relationship with the Savior. (“Ascending and descending on the Son of Man” was also a reference to Jacob’s dream of a stairway to Heaven in Genesis 28 and Chapter 10 of this book, where he saw angels travelling between Heaven and earth). God has greater things for us to know and see than we could even imagine, but it all starts with one little revelation received in faith, and the acknowledgement of the Lordship and omnipotence of Jesus. He is the door to all the awesome truths of eternity. Divine revelations and angelic activity are just some of the things which God would have us experience as we go deeper in Jesus, God’s perfect bridge between Heaven and Earth, between God and man, between righteousness and sin. He has so much in store for you!

There are a few thoughts to take away from this

chapter:

1) Following Jesus means bringing others into the covenant of discipleship too, as Philip did. Are you excited enough about Jesus to share Him with your friends?

2) Jesus sees you under your fig tree. He sees where you were and where you are. He knows everything there is to know about you, and still loves you (and likes you!) totally.

3) Jesus sees you for all your potential, and the awesomeness of what He created you to be. He sees you as righteous and forgiven, and a ‘true’ follower. He sees you as a gifted, dynamite filled Holy Spirit dispenser with the potential to change your world!

4) There is excitement and adventure in this partnership with Jesus. He has explosive revelations and heavenly visitations in store for you. Just jump on board!

Friend, see yourself as God sees you. He loves you, sees the best in you, and is taking you towards that perfect person He created you to be. You are destined for greatness. God has big and beautiful plans for you!

Chapter Twenty

Complete Joy (John 16:21-23)

“A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. In that day, you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.”

Jesus was preparing His disciples for His crucifixion and the difficult days they would have to face. He knew that while their grief and disappointment would be intense, their sorrow would turn to joy when He rose from the grave and they experienced His presence once more. Jesus used the analogy of a woman giving birth to a child, as He encouraged His friends to believe that “weeping may remain for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5).

Most new mothers would say that no amount of learning and preparation could have made them ready for the physical pain they experienced during the birth of their first child. While reading and education can help you towards a mental readiness, the physical pain of natural childbirth begins suddenly, when the “right” time has come. It may not be too intense at first, but continuously increases in severity, until it can only be described as unrelenting agony! Finally, just when the mother feels like she cannot survive any more of this excruciating pain, the baby ‘bursts’ forth as though he/she will not be contained in the womb any more, and pain miraculously begins to cease! Usually, the mother would have to ‘cooperate’ with the pain by ‘pushing’ each time she suffered another wave of it. This helps the baby out. As a mother who experienced a natural childbirth with no pain medication, I write from my own experience!

Friend, you may be going through some hardship in your home or work life, or facing a financial difficulty. Maybe a break in a special relationship is causing you grief and pain. Perhaps you have had so much bad news that you may have been feeling like you cannot go through any more. This Word is for you! The woman giving birth goes through much pain, but the moment she holds her child in her arms, the pain and its memory begins to recede from her mind. There is so much joy and excitement in seeing the face she imagined so many times, and in looking into the eyes of the tiny person she spoke to for nine months! She is facing a new life, a new identity, a new season. She has transitioned from being a woman, to being “mother”. She is a nurturer, a life giver, a developer, a protector, a lover, an educator! She is born again. She is new. She holds God’s work in her hands. It is a new life, with the limitless potential of God’s creative power in the eyes and hands of a little baby, a tiny woman or man.

Jesus was explaining to the disciples that although they would suffer much during the days following His arrest and crucifixion, they were to look ahead, and know that things would turn out for the better. They were to know that their time of grief and pain would be brief. As they flowed with the season and learned what God had for them, they would know great joy once more. There was a destiny and a calling, and the ministry of the New Testament church to be birthed through all this. Their lives and their identity would be transformed when they began to see it happening before their eyes. When Jesus rose again and met with them, their joy would be so great that their confusion and grief would just be a distant memory! This was what happened in reality.

Precious friend, know that there is something good for you around the corner. You may be facing a season of difficulty and frustration, but see this as the birthing pains for the beautiful thing God is bringing to fulfillment in your life. It is natural to cry when you are disappointed or grieving, and there is sometimes a season for weeping (Ecclesiastes 3:4). However, it is important that you do not camp in this place of pain or distress. The Father has something better for you. When you walk into the plans He has for you, you will know such laughter and joy that you will not even remember the darkness of these days. We can learn something from Jesus’ analogy of the mother giving birth. Similar to the way she works with the pain and pushes hard against it each time she feels it, there are some things we can do to facilitate the birth of the new season coming upon our lives.

1) Ask God to give you a vision of what is to come. Begin to see it in your heart and believe in the good thing He has for you.

2) Pray towards it, speak it, expect it to come to fruition imminently.

3) Thank God that He is bringing you to higher ground.

God is giving birth to a new season in your life. It is a season of joy and increase. You may not understand why you have been experiencing this time of darkness, but beyond it, you are entering a new level in your relationship with the Father. You are experiencing a new revelation – that Abba does not leave you or forsake you; that He is with you in good times as well as in bad; that nothing can separate you from His love. (Romans 8:39.) God is bringing you to a new level of faith and a supernatural understanding of the power of God. Jesus said to His disciples “Until now you have not asked for anything in my name”. They had only prayed small prayers for little things which did not stretch their faith or their imagination. They had not really asked God for anything big enough to reflect big faith in a big God! They had also never used the power of the name of Jesus to open doors in the spiritual dimension.

Jesus is saying the same to you and me today. You may not have stretched your faith up to now and sought the Father for anything really significant. You may not have stopped to think about the resident potential in the powerful name above all names – the name of Jesus. It is sometimes easier to bemoan our difficult circumstances and ask others to pray small prayers for us, than to build our faith, stand on the powerful Word of God and ask the Father in Jesus’ name! He says “Ask and you will receive and your joy will be complete”. He is giving us the permission to ask. This is the favor of God, which enables us to come before Him like any child with his earthly father, and say “Daddy, I ask you in Jesus’ name”! James 4:2b says that we do not have because

we do not ask. Whatever the need you are facing, I encourage you to begin to pray today as Jesus shows you. Begin to pray bigger prayers than you have ever prayed before. When we ask in accordance with His will and His Word, He is promising that we will receive. (1 John 5:14 & 15). We serve a God of miracles. We serve the Name above every name, the King of kings and the Lord of lords for whom nothing is impossible! We serve the One who spoke the world into being, who spoke every animal into existence, who fashioned man with His hands and breathed life into his body that he would live. We serve the Lord who holds the universe in the palms of His hands. He is all powerful. He is mighty. There is absolutely nothing impossible for Him. He loves you, wants to prosper you, and His hand is upon your life. He wants you to know true ‘shalom’ in Him – peace, joy, health of body, spirit and soul, with nothing missing and nothing broken. He wants deep contentment and the blessing of God covering every aspect of your life!

Receive these threads of Truth from the heart of

the Father:

1) God is giving birth to the calling and gifting, and the new season in your life. It is breaking forth through this time of questions and uncertainty.

2) Begin to thank God and rejoice today – He is doing something new in your life.

3) Pray forth the new thing that God wants to bring to birth through you. Believe in the fulfillment of His promises.

4) Ask the Father confidently, in the name of Jesus, and pray ‘big’ prayers. He wants to give you what you seek. He wants your joy to be ‘complete’!

May you always experience the glorious and wonderful blessing of God, and may you walk on ever higher ground and in the fullness of your calling, because you are loved and precious to the Father.

May His sweet presence fill your life, and may you know His complete joy today and every day!

Chapter Twenty One

Visions By The River (Ezekiel 1:1-3)

“In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the

fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. On the fifth of the month - it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin - the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, by the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians. There the hand of the Lord was upon him.”

The Prophet Ezekiel served as God’s voice to the exiled people of Israel in Babylon. While there are differing opinions about the thirtieth year mentioned here, it could be the thirtieth year of the prophet’s age. As a priest, he was able to enter into the full execution of his priestly office when he turned thirty. It was in the fourth month, (corresponding to our June), and on the fifth day of the month, that Ezekiel had this vision. (It was probably on the Sabbath day, because in Chapter 3:16 we read that “at the end of seven days, the next Sabbath, the word of the Lord came to him again.”) What is important is the fact that God is purposeful about seasons, dates and times, and His plans for each of our lives include specific victories and blessings during certain seasons, and/or after specific dates or milestones. There is a ‘kairos’ time, an optimum moment for everything that comes to pass in our lives.

Ezekiel was not enjoying happy times. He was with the exiles from Israel. They were far from their home and nation, and tearfully looked back to the times they had disobeyed God and distanced themselves from Him. They had lost their culture, their temple worship and everything that was familiar and comfortable, but in the midst of their desolation, God had raised up a prophet to speak to them and to bring His Word to them in their need.

The people were just sitting around by the Kebar River because they did not have much hope in their hearts. Even their leader and king (Jehoiachin) was in bondage, and had been an exile for 5 years. They felt powerless, and were lost in a cycle of empty tomorrows. They were just trying to survive another day in captivity, and their prophet sat with them. They were sitting by the river and watching the life-giving waters of the Kebar flow past them, and it was at this time that ‘the heavens were opened’, and Ezekiel saw ‘visions of God’. He saw and heard a message from the Lord. He experienced the hand of the Almighty upon him!

Friend, this chapter carries a message from the Father for two specific groups of people: Firstly, some of you who know Him and claim Him as Lord, but you have lost your first love. Life has become stale and hopeless, and empty of passion. Life has become ruled by something which you feel is beyond your control to overcome.

Secondly, you precious people who have been serving the Lord, but lately, you feel like you are watching the River flow right past you. You have lost the zest and fire that was once your life. You are clocking in the hours but you have become an exile - far from the heart bursting worship with which you once served Jesus. You are far from the intimate spirit to Spirit connection you once walked in. You are talking about yesterday’s testimonies, when each new moment can be an opportunity for fresh glory to be seen in your life. You are remembering the revelations of the past, when God has colorful, living heavenly visions for you today.

There is blessing and power in the Word of the Lord for both these groups of people plus anyone else who will receive it!

It is exciting to find out that “Kebar” means “force”, ”strength” or “power”. These exiles were all sitting beside the power and strength. They were gazing at the river of God, the life giving force, but it was flowing right past them. They needed to jump in and be immersed in it, and swim in it; but all they did was sit by it! There was healing and refreshing and life in the river. There was excitement and new joy in its waters, but they did not even get their feet wet! They were not expecting to hear God’s voice or see the heavens open, so they just watched and experienced the waters flowing right by them.

On the other hand, Ezekiel saw the heavens open, and experienced glorious visions of God. The name ‘Ezekiel’ means ‘strength of God’. He was serving an exiled people and he was far from home, but he had consecrated his life to the Lord, and God takes our commitments seriously. From the moment he entered a covenant relationship with God, the faithful Father had never left his side. God was with him, even when he felt like God was far away and he thought he was all alone. The presence of the Holy Spirit was always upon him, even when his circumstances got him down and he focused on the fact that he had been forced into captivity. The strength of God was upon him. Each time someone called his name ‘Ezekiel’, it was a reminder and an affirmation that the source of his strength was God and no other, and that he could rely on no one else but the Almighty.

Friend, God wants us to step into a higher dimension today. He wants us to open our lives and hearts to receive the glorious revelations He has for us. He is looking to pour out His powerful end time anointing on churches, communities and individuals who will step into the River of the Holy Spirit - the Kebar River of strength and power - and receive in faith the hand of the Lord upon them. There is strength and overcoming in store for you. There are heavenly dreams and visions, and revelation anointing. There is freshness and blessing upon every aspect of your life, including your health and finances, if you decide today to jump in to the Kebar River and allow the Lord to take over!

It is the same river which John writes about in the book of Revelations 20:1 - “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. No longer will there be any curse.” You will never again simply sit by the River! As it flows to you and through you, you will be God’s instrument to break curses and set the captives free. You will be His hands to bring healing and life, and fruitfulness to the people around you. You will flow in the kebar -the strength and power of the precious Spirit of God, in the mighty name of Jesus.

Friend, Jesus came to give us abundant life and flow through us to touch a hurting world. He is calling us to break out of the “survival mode” which was the life of the Israelites who sat by the river. It may be what people around us have slipped into, in the present economic context around the world, but this is not our portion.

Whatever your situation, today is a day for rededication. Ask the Lord Jesus to wipe away the stain of every smallest sin and fill you afresh with His Holy Spirit. As you surrender yourself to Him, and take time to worship and wait on Him, and simply dive into the River of His anointing, you will rise up in His strength and overcome everything that bound you to the ground and kept you in exile. He will fill you with new joy. He will open your spirit to visions from Heaven which He longs for you to step into! All you have to do is believe, and receive! My prayer for you is that you will experience the Ezekiel (strength of God) rising up within you as you soak in the River of the Spirit, and receive cleansing, new power and a fresh vision for your life. There are mighty revelations and a deeper walk with God awaiting you!

Chapter Twenty Two

Visions by the River – 2 (Ezekiel 1:4-9)

“I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north - an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The centre of the fire looked like glowing metal, and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was that of a man, but each of them had four faces and four wings. Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze. Under their wings on their four sides they had the hands of a man. All four of them had faces and wings, and their wings touched one another.”

As Ezekiel watched, the heavens opened and he saw a windstorm coming towards him. It must have been like a huge cyclone, whipping up the dry desert sand, and increasing in momentum as it came along. It was a violent wind in a huge cloud of flashing lightning, surrounded by glorious and blinding light. It was a powerful, visible, visitation of God! It was a vision of changes to come.

Within the flashing, fiery ball of light Ezekiel could see the glory of God. It looked to him like glowing metal, and he saw four divine beings within the radiant presence of God. Angels are spirit beings who most of us may be unable to see with our physical eyes, but God wanted Ezekiel to perceive them with the different animal attributes he saw. Each aspect of their appearance was a depiction of the unity, omniscience, omnipresence and omnipotence of God (Hands, faces, wings). The calf feet signify the heavenly speed with which they could move to fulfill the commands of God. The number four stands for completeness because God always completes what He begins!

The prophet’s detailed narration of his vision continues until the end of Chapter 1. There are many things we can take from this vision God gave Ezekiel, but let us focus on the following:

1) God has great visions and divine revelations for His children. He wants to take us to higher spiritual ground.

2) We sometimes feel distanced from God and overtaken by the busy schedules of work and responsibility but God is able to reach us wherever we are. Ezekiel was in exile, far from his home and far from the temple of God, but the God of the temple came to him. God can meet you where you are! He recognizes hungry hearts. He knows those who are desperate for more of Him.

3) The revelation of God is often behind a storm! Ezekiel saw the windstorm approaching and if he had run away from it, or hidden his face, he would have never seen the higher things he was meant to witness. Let us not run away from the unexpected storms in our lives and hide in fear. As we face them squarely, standing where God placed us and not retreating from the troubles that seem to arise from different directions, God has higher ground for us, and greater spiritual revelation and authority. There can be power behind the problem!

4) Keep your eyes on Jesus! When God’s hand came upon Ezekiel (1:3), he responded by fixing his eyes on the Glory of God (1:4 – “He looked”). He surrendered to the hand of the Lord upon him. We cannot see heavenly visions if our eyes are focused on ourselves and our earthly existence. Ezekiel was in exile, surrounded by others in captivity. If he looked at his physical circumstances, there was not much to hope for; but when he looked up at what God was doing, he began to see another dimension -fire, lightning, clouds and the brilliant glory of Heaven! He saw the might and omnipotent presence of God.

5) Seek the River. It is the Blessed Holy Spirit who opens us to the possibility of heavenly visions and the divine revelations we can receive. As we hunger for the glory of Heaven, He opens our spiritual eyes to see and our spiritual ears to hear. As Ezekiel sat beside the Kebar River, at the feet of God, the Spirit began to stir his heart and prepare himfor something his physical senses could otherwise have never experienced. The eyes of his spirit were opened to see and know the supernatural sights of heaven!

6) God wants intercessors everywhere to be able to see the supernatural storms coming from the north, ie, in the heavens. There is spiritual turbulence rising up over cities and nations, as a shifting takes place and the end time conflict begins to stir. God wants His warriors to see the warning signs - the storm clouds, the cyclonic winds, and enter into serious prayer - prayer without ceasing for the will of God to be fulfilled in the nations of the earth. He is opening up a vision before us! As we stand in the gap, He is commissioning angels to move swiftly into position and bring our prayers to fruition.

7) Although the storm rises against the church at large and believers everywhere, it has the potential to bring the Body to its knees in humility before God, to repent and seek Him in earnestness once more. Our response can lift us up to higher ground, to experience the end time prophetic anointing God is already pouring out on those who are surrendered to Him. The Bride has to make herself ready!

Friend, you are a prime candidate for a divine visitation! God wants to lift you up into heavenly realms and show you mighty things you never knew. He has a message for you. He has a revelation specific to your circumstances. Come closer to the River of the Holy Spirit, and ask Him to open your spiritual eyes that you may see. Ask Him to open your heart to the visions God has for you. Look beyond the storm -there is Goodness and Mercy following. There is a Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation. There is higher ground!

May the power of the blessed Holy Spirit take you into that other dimension. May you begin to experience things in the heavens you never thought you would see, and may you walk in all the supernatural power that Jesus wants for you. May the eyes of your heart be truly opened, and may you know that you are a mighty Ezekiel in the Lord!

References

Christian Classics Ethereal Library www.ccel. org/g/geneva/notes)

Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition(www. britannica.com)

Easton’s On–Line Bible Dictionary (ww.eastonsbibledictionary.com)

Holman On-Line Bible Dictionary (www.studylight.org)

Hitchcock’s On-Line Bible Dictionary (www. searchgodsword.org)

Matthew Henry’s Commentary (Edited by Leslie F Church), Zondervan Press, Grand Rapids,

Michigan, USA.

NIV Study Bible, Zondervan Corporation,

Michigan, 1985

ScriptureText.Com On-Line Multilingual Bible (www.scripturetext.com)

The author can be contacted through the

website: www.risingonwings.org