SEASON OF BARRENNESS ENDED!

Lana Vawser came to my mind the other day and I decided to check out her blog. She is one of those prophetic voices that I can identify with and what she wrote always confirmed what God told me. I came across this blog post on 18 Jan which was a word in season for me! The title is 'The Season of Barrenness has ended and it's time for the sudden bloom!' I hope it will minister to you too!

In April last year the Lord began speaking to me a lot about birthing in the spirit and about pushing through discouragement to birth your promise. There have been many ‘false starts’, many ‘labour pains’ and some birthing, but the journey for many has still been difficult and long. 

As we crossed over in 2016, I noticed a sudden acceleration in the natural. A lot of people around me that I know, that have had trouble in falling pregnant, suddenly falling pregnant. Miraculous pregnancies happening defying the odds and impossible circumstances and surprise pregnancies and all due in the same month. I was hearing testimony after testimony all around me of pregnancy and birthing. I realised that the Lord was highlighting a theme in all of these testimonies and I felt the Lord say that “the season of barrenness has ended. I am breaking the barrenness”. 

The Lord went on to speak to me about this season being a season of the implantation of life and hope again. The season of birthing. The season of barrenness being ended and the time for the ‘sudden bloom’ to come forth. Wombs would open in the natural, supernaturally, but also that the Lord is LOOKING for the barren areas in the lives of His people and He is breaking the barrenness to bring SUDDEN BLOOM.

This morning I kept hearing Isaiah 54:1 going over and over in my heart: 'Sing oh Barren one, you who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who did not travail with child! For the children of the desolate one will be MORE than the children of the married wife, says the Lord.'

In the place of deeper intimacy the Lord is aligning His people and highlighting the power of DECLARATION to see the grip of barrenness shifted. I believe we are in a season where we are going to see barrenness in physical bodies and in natural circumstances, any area that has been barren SUDDENLY turned around and a BLOOMING of FRUIT suddenly BREAK FORTH on a SCALE we have NEVER seen before. CORPORATE BLOSSOMING is upon us!!!

The season has changed, the bondage of your barren winter has ended and the season of hiding is over and gone, the rains have soaked the earth and left it bright with blossoming flowers. The season of pruning the vines has arrived. I hear the voting of doves in our land. Filling the air with songs to awaken you and guide you forth. Can you not discern this new day of destiny breaking forth around you? The early signs of My purposes and plans are bursting forth, THE BUDDING VINES OF NEW LIFE ARE NOW BLOOMING EVERYWHERE. The fragrance of flowers whispers.. “THERE IS CHANGE IN THE AIR. ARISE, my love, my beautiful companion, and run with me to the higher place, for now is the time to arise and come away with Me.” – Song of Songs 2:12-13 (The Passion Translation)

The barren areas of many lives has been causing many to ‘pull back’ and to ‘hide’ in fear, in weariness, discouragement and doubt of whether the promise will ever come to pass. Whether the barrenness will ever break. (This was exactly how I felt earlier) I declare to you today that God is BREAKING barrenness and turning your barren season into the season where you will see a SUDDEN BLOOMING of fruit. A SUDDEN blooming of fruit! The VERY barren areas of your life are about to OVERFLOW and OVERFLOW and OVERFLOW. Align your mouth with the truth of His Word, DECLARE His truth, for you about to sing with joy at the SUDDEN BLOOMING upon you! All things are being made new again!

“Sarah’s faith embraced the miracle power to conceive even though she was barren and was past the age of childbearing, for the authority of her faith rested in the One who made the promise, and she tapped into His faithfulness.” (Hebrews 11:11 – The Passion Translation)

The giants of impossibility that have screamed in the land of barrenness all around you are about to hear the authority of His Word in your declaration and CRUMBLE in Jesus name. Tap into His faithfulness through your faith!! Don’t give up on the Word He has given you over your barren land. Your barren land is meeting BREAKING POINT, and once the BREAKTHROUGH happens, it will not be a long dry wasteland of waiting for the fruit to grow,  in many areas there will be a sudden accelerated blooming. (And I was just thinking about breaking point!)

The very things that have been hidden, shut off and inaccessible are now being opened, the are being released to the people of God for SUCH A TIME AS THIS!!!! As the sudden bloom appears and the ancient doors continue to open, the people of God are being positioned through their declaration for OVERFLOW!!! It’s been a trickle here and there such a long time, but the time has come to go IN OVER YOUR HEAD. OVERFLOW!!!!!! OVERFLOW!! LONG AWAITED OVERFLOW!!!!!!

YOUR GOLDEN TICKETS

I was just thinking about Willie Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory yesterday morning and then I happened to read this article by Bob Hartley titled 'Dream:Your Golden Tickets'. This was what he wrote.

I dreamed I was sitting at a table with The Lord and He was starting to talk about (with incredible excitement) this time of restored or released inheritances that had never been seen, heard or even thought up before. I don't think I have ever seen His eyes so full of wonder and excitement.

He then spoke of how there had been inheritances put in our bank accounts, but they were for a point in time for us to cash in on. He kept saying, "Did you get the memo?" and that it's time to write a cheque on the deposit of inheritance He had given us. Those around the table were looking bewildered, but excited and intrigued. He kept saying, "Didn't you get the memo?" He was so fun and alive. He said, "You have an inheritance as Kings and Queens...this is yours."

Next, He put us in little red wagons and pulled us up the hill to show us what our inheritance was. I felt like the one from Luke 15, who hadn't realized his inheritance that he had at home.

He said: "It's Time to Cash in on These Golden Tickets."
• I saw that each of us had many golden tickets, like what you get when you are at a carnival and you throw the ball and hit the target.
• We had hundreds of these golden tickets in our hands and each one was incredibly precious.
• However, there were 16 that He was allowing us to cash in on for the year 2016. I thought it was kind of gamesical, but He said it was fun.
• He smiled knowingly and said: "The key is learning how to celebrate incremental hopes and partial victories (like God in creation, let there be light, but still no animals or man, but He said it was good).

He then took me out and gave a shovel and He said,
"Isaiah 45:1-3. You must stay focused on being very thoughtful and intentional about digging up this great treasure of your golden inheritance. I am in the redemption business and I want you to dig up in the year 2016: Psalm 16 – your life is not planned for catastrophe and just hope through it; real hope is walking along pleasant paths and seeing how I show you the goodness in the land of the living continually. You can either worry like a man or trust and receive like a child. Receive your 16 golden tickets for this 16th year and take your time like you did when you made out your list to Santa and make it out to Me. Your 16 requests for your 16 inheritances and whatever you are thinking, make it bigger."

I said to myself and to the Lord that I had never read or heard of anything like this in the Bible and it sounded like charismatic jambalaya. But He said, "Haven't you ever heard of the prophet I told to strike the rock for the blessings, or the coin out of the fish's mouth, or the five loaves and two fishes? I'm a lot more fun than you think, and I love to give great substantial gifts that are life changers. Wait on Me alone, wait on Me with friends who can believe for great things for you and cash your cheques on your inheritance."

He then took me to a bunch of friends, who are generals in the faith, and He told me to tell each one to write the cheque on the inheritance He gave each one from different times. I later talked to them and they confirmed it, this is unbelievable, in this believable dream. He Then Said, "How Do You Receive Your Golden Ticket?"

He gave me a picture in the dream of Willie Wonka and the chocolate factory (I wish it was more Biblical, but I just got to tell you it happened), how a pauper got an inheritance, but there was one thing required of him, and it was to be humble. Though everybody was wrong and had made mistakes, but Charlie would pass the test of humility and receive God's great gift of the Kingdom. It's Time the Golden Ticket is Released and Inheritance Gained.

I believe it wasn't a coincidence that I just thought about Willie Wonka in the chocolate factory this morning. And it so happened that Joshua had this book as the reading book for this year. And when I flipped open the book, I saw this golden ticket! I also don't think it's a coincidence that I see it now. Look at the date stated on the golden ticket...the day chosen for the first visit is the first day in the month of February! I also read in Doug Addison's recent article that February is the month of old things dying and new life coming up.

THE STARS ARE ALIGNING!

Yesterday I just learnt that five stars have aligned! For the first time in more than a decade, we have the rare opportunity to spot five planets in the night sky at the same time. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are the planets in our solar system that are visible with the naked eye. (Uranus and Neptune are only visible with telescopes.) The five bright planets line up across the sky before dawn from 20 Jan to 20 Feb. The last time that happened was in 2005. The next time it will happen is from 13-19 Aug this year. After that it will be in Oct 2018.

The definition of stars aligning is when an unexpected and impossible event takes place usually due to the divine intervention of God. Anyway this got me excited and I was prompted to search for the meaning of these planets. Now I am not into astrology but I believe God hides his mysteries in the stars. Well, I got even more excited when I discovered that there is a common thread in the meanings of these planet symbols! The common themes I found are: womb, narrowing or transition, final stage,  culmination, moving through the birth canal, new beginnings and death of old things, birth, manifestation in the material world, opportune moment of harvest, spring, new life etc.

The symbol of Mercury ☿ has a crescent opening upward, which is a gesture of receptivity. Mercury is a planet of open-mindedness, new ideas and intelligence. Ideas are gestated in a womb of contemplation, symbolised by the circle. The visual journey of the Mercury symbol ends at an equal-armed cross. This is the final stage of solidification of thoughts. This indicates that our thoughts have become manifest in the natural world. We could say that Mercury is a midwife to thoughts conceived in the unseen world and moving through the birth canal to physical form. (Proverbs 23:7 says 'as a man thinks, so is he.')

Venus' symbol ♀ is that of a circle and a cross. It symbolises the spiritual and the material. The circle reminds us of the inclusive nature of our universe while the cross talks about nurturing our spiritual understanding into the realm of the material. The cross rests beneath the womb, symbolised by the circle. The location of the cross under the circle indicates that all matter is birthed from a spiritually inclusive and loving womb. (Isn't this how things come to existence: first in the spiritual and unseen world, then the natural?) On the top half we feel the openness and inclusivity yet on the lower half, we experience a narrowing or 'coming to the crux'. Visually you can see opening and closings, beginnings and endings in this symbol.

The Saturn symbol♄is comprised of two design elements. The top cross is symbolic of the culmination of matter as well as the function of an intense focus. The second component is a crescent, an element that signifies receptivity. This lower 'crescent' portion of the symbol is like a sickle. It symbolises the opportune moment of harvesting current life. (Doesn't this sound like kairos and the fullness of time?) This theme of harvesting joins with the Saturn symbol meaning of recycling old to new, changing of an old regime (death) to a new one (rebirth).

Now we come to Mars symbol ♂. It is also known as the sign for 'masculine'. Mars is often known as the fiery planet because of the red hue, also known as a planet of war. (Red in the bible symbolises man.) This is due to the ability of Mars to confront life and death issues, influential in illuminating our vision as to what is no longer serving us. Mars is affiliated with spring, which is symbolic of new beginnings, birth and initiation. At the same time, Mars is also the symbol for retreat and death, relevant to cycles and natural rhythms of life and death. On one hand we have the driving force of new beginnings, on the other, a symbolic death to the things which no longer serve us. (Doesn't this sound like Isaiah 43:18 'do not remember the past for they are no more'?)

Last but not least, we come to Jupiter, the biggest planet in the solar system. The symbol of Jupiter ♂ has a crescent with a horizontal line, also known as the Greek letter Zeta. This component suggests evolutionary development like maturity, knowledge gained through a time of growth. The second component is a cross. Symbolic of the meeting of ideas, like a cross roads coming together to unite and combine two paths of philosophy. Jupiter symbol meanings are closely aligned with manifestation because of its location in the solar system. It rests in the centre of the orbital line of the solar system. This position of balance makes the energy of Jupiter ideal for justice, manifestation and order.

TIPPING POINT AGAIN

Recently I have been seeing and hearing so much about tipping point. Even a sister was saying that she was impressed upon tipping point in one article and then she saw my blog post on this same topic! Yesterday, I just managed to watch Cindy Jacob’s message on word of the Lord for 2016. She was saying that 2016 is the year that the tide turns. I was wondering how different this message was compared to last year when she said 2015 is the year when God turns things around. I read another article that both 15 and 16 talked about divine reversals and turn around. But somehow from her preaching, it would seem like the tide turning was a more powerful word than last year.

In her message, she also mentioned about tipping point and suddenly God will do this thing. Well, that got me excited and I further searched the meaning of tipping point. I think I may know it all. Tipping point is like a turning point when things change. But I may not know it all. So I searched and found this article titled 'The tipping point of prayer'. The writer Helen Calder said God wants to encourage you in relation to answers to prayer—especially in circumstances where you have prayed for a long time about a situation or person. (Again it relates to longstanding circumstances!)

'Tipping Point’ is a phrase that is commonly used today—and one that the Holy Spirit has recently been bringing to her attention. The term ‘tipping point’ originated in the science of physics: Imagine an object that is balanced, but if you were to add a small amount of weight, you will cause it to topple—that is the tipping point. 'A tipping point may be an addition or increment that in itself might not seem extraordinary but that is unexpectedly, just the amount of additional change that will lead to a big effect.’

A tipping point is often considered to be a turning point—especially, the time at which a change or an effect cannot be stopped. The tipping point of prayer is the moment at which God moves in response to persistent prayer, to bring about His answer. In Luke 18, Jesus taught a parable about a widow who was seeking justice from an ungodly judge, who couldn’t have cared less about her.

However, because she persisted, and she kept returning to him again and again, there came a moment—a tipping point—when she pestered him for the last time. The unrighteous judge said, ‘That’s it! I’ve had enough! I will give her what she wants!’ And Jesus said how much more will our just God and Father answer the prayers of His people who keep crying out to Him.  (This reminded me of how often the Lord kept saying about the attacks and delay: Enough is enough!)

God collects our prayers! Our prayers accumulate before the throne! In fact, God not only collects our prayers, He collects our tears. ‘You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book?’ (Psalm 56:8, NKJV)

To those of you who have been praying for a long time—you may have been praying for family members to come to God, for a miracle, or for situations to shift, hear the Lord saying:'Your prayers are fragrant to Me, they are an offering. Know that your prayers are not being wasted. I have savoured and collected every one. The tipping point is on its way when I pour out the accumulated power of those prayers into the answer and the breakthrough.’

Don’t stop short of the tipping point! This principle is why Jesus said of prayer: “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Luke 11:9-10) The verb is in the present continuous tense in the Greek: ‘ask and keep on asking, seek and keep on seeking, knock and keep on knocking.’ As you continue to persevere in prayer, there is going to come a tipping point, when the answer to your prayers is going to break loose.

Sometimes, we pray as though God needs to be convinced—as though we must try to persuade Him out of a position of reluctance, when the opposite is the case. Through continuous prayer, you get into alignment with the Father’s desires and what is on His heart. And then, the moment, the tipping point comes. Heaven breaks loose the answer to your prayer. The tipping point of prayer is the moment at which God moves in response to persistent prayer, to bring about His answer. And that answer is on its way.

CALEB'S HEART

Recently I was just thinking about Caleb. I read about how he not only inherited Hebron but also Debir. Hebron is the place where the forefathers were buried. It means friendship or alliance. Another meaning is also friendship with God. I also searched the meaning of Debir and it says sanctuary or holy place. I was quite touched when I saw this because both places have similar meanings. Both pointed to closeness with God in the holy place.

That alone tells me so much about Caleb's heart. We have all known that Caleb has a different spirit, a spirit of faith. But the fact that he inherited these two places speaks of his heart. Behind that spirit of faith is a heart that longs to draw near to God, to be close to His blessings. I was also impressed upon other people like King David, whom God called a man after His own heart. David always have a heart that is so tender towards God. Even when he was rich and successful as a king, he never forgot about God. It was David who brought the Ark back to Jerusalem and who wanted to build a temple for Him. Even when he sinned, he quickly repented and said he has sinned against God.

I also thought about Abraham, whom God called a friend of God. What an honour! God even revealed to Abraham the plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, giving him the chance to intercede for them. God set Abraham and his family apart right from the start when He called them out of Haran. He already knew Abraham's heart and He was pleased with Abraham. Remember how Abraham came out and warmly hosted the three angelic messengers. This showed he had a heart for the things of God and knew that it was God who prospered him.

Then I also thought about Moses, who communed with God and sought to see His face. And about Enoch who walked with God and was caught up into the heaven without seeing death. Not forgetting Jacob, though he was a conniver, deep at his heart, he was hungry for God's blessings. The things of God mattered so much to him, unlike Esau who sold his birthright for a bowl of lentil. Also about Joseph, who still worshipped and feared God even though he was betrayed by his brothers. He could have been bitter towards God and turned his back against God but he didn't.

Of course not all people in the bible are like them. Actually these men were a minority. But whenever such a man or woman of God was born, it pleased God so much that He never failed to mention them. Sometimes I wondered if they were born like this, with a heart for God. Or that God already foreknew how they would respond to Him. In any case, such people are a joy and delight to Him. As a parent I can understand how pleased it must have felt when a child is very close to the parent and carries his heart.

In this year of possessing our possessions, Pastor Prince also mentioned about walking with God. He talked about having a desire for the things of God, to draw near to Him. He also urged us to have a different spirit. Not a spirit of the world, the ten spies but a spirit of faith like Caleb and Joshua. Pastor also warned us about a prideful spirit as well as hungering for the things of the world, like how the Israelites longed to go back to Egypt. The world has nothing for us but the promised land which God has prepared for us is much better than we can imagine. No wonder 1 Corinthians 2:9 says 'No ear has seen, no ear has heard, no mind can conceive what the Lord has in store for those who love Him.' Well, I am truly excited, are you?

BANANA FARMS AND BREAKING THE SPIRIT OF DELAY

A sister today emailed me about another prophetic website and I so happened to watch this short message titled 'Banana farms and breaking the spirit of delay' on 16 Nov 2015. This title caught my attention because it was very cute. What has banana farm got to go with the spirit of delay? Besides, I have been recently talking about how I sensed God is dealing with longstanding issues and He doesn't want any more delay in our lives. If not, why would He send the word through Pastor Joel about the year of acceleration, about how He is doing a quick work, speeding things up in our lives. That very word about acceleration was released to combat the spirit of delay.

The speaker, Paul Lackie was saying that in his recent trip to Philippines, he prophesied to this certain man that the spirit of delay is broken and there will be no more delay over his life. This man came up to Paul afterwards and said that very night, he got a phone call from home saying that someone wanted to buy his banana farm. He had this plantation listed for years but nothing happened. No one wanted to buy his farm and he had no real hope that it would ever happen but when this word of no more delay was spoken over him, it literally broke the spirit of delay. He sold his farm instantly!

Paul Lackie shared he sensed strongly that right now, God is breaking the spirit of delay in every area of our lives: our land, our property and even our families. Paul and his wife have been trying to have children for 7 years then all of a sudden without the help of any doctors, she got pregnant and their baby was born in last Dec! The spirit of delay, the spirit of barrenness was finally broken! (Again it was the seventh year that they got pregnant, just like that sister who got married for 7 years!)

Paul felt strongly that now is the appointed time, no more waiting! Believe the promises that God has spoken over your life and move forward like they already happened. If there is anything you are sitting on, waiting for God to break through, think of how you can take steps of faith to do what God has already said He will do. Get up and believe with your whole heart that delay is no more and the spirit of delay is broken. If there is a delay or things have slowed down and you still haven't gotten your breakthrough, he prophesied that delay is no more and the spirit of delay is broken in Jesus' name!

Wow! What a great encouragement, a tremendous boost to my faltering heart! God is really so spot-on and His word is really a NOW word. When I heard this word spoken over my life, I immediately received it and asked God to show me if there is any step of faith I can take to align myself with His word. I remembered how Pastor Joel said it is important to get our expectancy up to receive our miracle, to think like you got your miracle, to speak like you got your miracle and to act like you got your miracle! Praise the Lord that He has given His word about no more delay in this childbearing issue, that the spirit of delay has been broken and I am finally set free from this endless cycle of waiting! Praise Jesus!

YEAR OF SHIFTING SEASONS AND SUDDENLIES

I read this article titled '2016: the year of shifting seasons and suddenlies' by Jennifer Leclaire and it bore witness in my heart. When she talked about the suddenlies, it sounded like acceleration to me. Like God is doing a quick work. You have been waiting, standing in faith for a while then suddenly things turned around. Even what she wrote about 2015 being the year of new beginnings also ministered to me because it was exactly what the Lord impressed upon me in Jan 2015. He said to me 'A new beginning from now on.'

2015 was the year of new beginnings. That rang true in my life and in the lives of many people whom God called from the waiting room to the delivery room. 2015 was a challenging year in many ways, a year of stretching and transitioning from the old to the new – and now we're going to the next. With regard to 2016, I heard the Holy Spirit say it's a year of "shifting seasons and suddenlies."

Merriam-Webster describes a "shift" as "to exchange for or replace by another; to change the place, position or direction of; to change gears; to go through a change." When the Holy Spirit said, "Shifting season," it's easy to discern that He meant changes are ahead. Some of you are going to shift from a time of sowing to a time of reaping. Others will shift from weeping to laughing. Still others will shift from lack to prosperity.

I'm reminded of what God told Jeremiah: "'For I know the plans that I have for you,' says the Lord, 'plans for peace and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope'" (Jeremiah 29:11). God has good plans for us in 2016. He wants to shift us out of what has held us back from His best and into His good, perfect, and acceptable will (see Romans 12:2).

When you change your climate unto a season shift, it will lead to a "suddenly." Merriam-Webster defines "suddenly" as "happening or coming unexpectedly; a changing angle or character all at once; marked by or manifesting abruptness or haste; made or brought about in a short time." After weeks of praying in unity, "suddenly (there was) a sound like a mighty rushing wind," and the 150 in the upper room were filled with the Spirit (Acts 2). When Paul and Barnabas experienced persecution for Christ's sake, suddenly an earthquake rose up and opened the doors to the jail (see Acts 16:26). Suddenly. 

Suddenly you may shift into a promotion. Suddenly you may shift from sickness to health. Suddenly you may shift into greater authority in the spirit. Suddenly you may shift from a dark night of the soul to greater revelation of Christ. Suddenly you may shift from feelings of oppression to new levels of freedom. Suddenly.

Believe for the suddenlies in 2016. Expect them to happen. Wait with anticipation, but understand that you have to do your part. Like the disciples in the upper room, you need to pray. Like Paul and Barnabas in the prison, you need to praise. In other words, you need to create a spiritual climate over your life that invites the Holy Spirit to work in your heart, in your life, and in your circumstances.

Your climate change will eventually lead to a season shift that will bring a suddenly you could never make happen in your own strength. Take heart in Isaiah 48:3: "I have declared the former things from the beginning and they went forth from My mouth, and I announced them. Suddenly I did them, and they came to pass."

TIPPING POINT

I was reading this article by Phyllis Ford about the word received from the Lord regarding 2016 and some parts of it ministered to me. I talked about how I have reached my tipping point in mid Dec and she also talked about tipping point. She also mentioned about acceleration. Well, here is an excerpt of her sharing.

We are seeing everything that has built up in 2015 come to a complete tipping point. For the bowls of prayer, petitions, and decrees have come before the Lord and the Lord is about to move on behalf of His people. The events, even the tests and trials that were experienced during this phase, have been the ground for that which the Lord is establishing now.

The Lord is saying, "For now the dry ground is about to become your watered garden. Your proving ground is about to become your breeding ground. For I am clearing the ground and I am cleansing the ground. I am planting in this season of your life, and you shall see it and you will taste its harvest. For I am rebuilding upon you in this hour, so that you may walk in My abundant life.

Now there will be a turning over of the soil and the seeds will be planted deep within. There will be great growth, and behold the bumper crop season will take place. As quickly as it is planted, so shall it also come forth. The harvest will be like nothing you have seen in times past. For this is a part of the accelerated course that has come upon the land, and there will be rapid growth in this season."

The Lord let me know that 2016 is a time where we will not be overlooked. For even in this month there will be opportunity to grasp, to redeem time, and to move forward onto new ground. If we allow this window of time to go by, playing last year's games, we will watch everyone quickly pass us by and we will wonder where the time went.

Watch how when the efforts of many move together a tsunami wave of momentum is created, having much impact. (Reminds me of this being the month of the water carrier, Aquarius.) It will begin in January and go throughout the year. You will see people connecting people, purpose, time, and energy along with great moves of God's glory touching others on new levels. There will be those who will be carriers of the glory realm coming together.

The bowls of the prayers of the saints will be tipped over, taking others into greater realms of prayer movements. Prophetic voices, priestly sounds of worship, and apostolic words of sound doctrine will purge and purify those coming out of deceptions, bringing them into great deliverance.

I had a vision of ground-breaking ceremonies. The Lord said that all the Heavens would rejoice over the new ground breaking forth in the spirit realm. There is a fresh new boldness coming upon the land that is likened unto when Caleb went forth to take new ground. There will be new, fresh revelation in the area of spiritual warfare that will break new ground as well. Old battles will be finally be dealt with and old generational curses will be broken with fresh new victories.

This year, it really seems like the Lord is dealing with age-old issues, delay and lies from the enemy about how nothing has changed. Yesterday Pastor Prince talked about the man paralysed for 38 years at the pool of Bethesda. He correlated this to a sign of how the Israelites wandered in the desert for 38 years because of their refusal to believe that God has given them the land and He is well able to bring them to possess it. Jesus asked the man 'Do you want to be well?' It may sound like a weird question but then listen to the man's answer. It was full of excuses on why he couldn't get well.

Pastor also said that in the past, people had to wait for seasons of angelic visitations or feast days to receive their miracle. But today we don't have to wait for the move of God anymore. Now is the time, today is the day. That man was so close to his healing but was not able to possess it. Only Jesus can cause us to possess our possession. This man was unable to walk for many years but one word from Jesus and suddenly he was healed. If you have been waiting for a promise for years, don't wait anymore. Let this be the year you possess your possessions. In 2016, no longer will you be here and your promise is on the other side. Don't let another year pass without you seeing the manifestation of your promise.

YEAR OF JUBILEE

I read this recent post by Johnny Enlow on '2016: A True Year of Jubilee' and I just like to share some nuggets with you. He mentioned that 2016 in the Hebraic calendar is in the midst of the 70th Jubilee since Joshua and Caleb went into the Promised Land with the children of Israel. The number 70 is a very significant number in the Bible that speaks of restoration. (The end of 70 years of captivity by the Babylonians also speaks of deliverance.)

It is a multiple of 7/perfection and 10/completeness. Furthermore, the original Year of Jubilee spoken of in Leviticus 25 started on the 7th month and the 10th day. We certainly don't want to miss the impacting fact that we're now in a 70th Jubilee time period. This Jubilee started on the Day of Atonement in Sep last year, with the blowing of the shofar.

In his article, he talked about the meaning of these numbers, 70 represents a time of restoration and Jubilee whereas 111 is about crossing into the Promised Land and living by faith. Jubilee and faith are two key words for us to walk in this year. Joshua 1:11 says, "Go through the camp and tell the people, 'Get your supplies ready...go in and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own.'" (Isn't this also in line with our church's theme 'Possessing our possessions?)

In last Nov, I was impressed upon the significance of 70, specifically how the bondage in Babylon was coming to an end after 70 years. And God also brought to my mind about 111. I never knew it was about crossing into our Promised Land and possessing our possession. When I was first impressed upon 111, it was in 2011. The verse was Deuteronomy 1:11 'May the Lord bless you a thousand times more!' That time the sermon by Richard Robert about 'A thousand times more' excited my heart so much that I went on to search the bible about verses with 1:11. I was even prompted to sow a $111 seed that year in order to obtain a harvest that was a thousand times more!

Last night I so happened to read Johnny Enlow's blog. This post was titled 'Seeing 111 and 1111?' What he said was so spot on because earlier in Nov, I was also impressed upon verses relating to 11:11. Generally these verses speak of no more barrenness, no more delay for God intervenes, possessing your inheritance in promised land, breaking through of enemy's fortified cities, complete destruction of fear and giants in promised land, resurrection of dead things etc.

Of course the key verses are about faith in Hebrews 1:11 (Faith is the substance of things hoped for) and Hebrews 11:11 (Sarah received strength to conceive seed) which was my anchor verse all these years. Johnny Enlow also said that expectant believers willing to take kingdom risks will experience unprecedented advances into their promised land during this present 11/11/15 to 1/11/16 time period. We have just started what he believes will be a 7 year “Jubilee" period of extraordinary debt erasures, financial breakthroughs and relational restorations.

He also talked about seeing two paths which believers would take in this year. One path is where believers find themselves thrown into transition quite abruptly. On the other path, he sees a year of acceleration and abundance. (Exactly what the Lord impressed upon me for this year!) For those who already saw the "lines that fall in a pleasant place" will be shown an even greater vein of treasure. We are already in the right field of inheritance and fun, faith, and fruitfulness is your immediate track.

I believe the Lord has prepared us for this path and our transition is over for we have crossed over to the other side! Praise the Lord!

THE SEVENTH YEAR

During the mothers' group meeting yesterday, this sister shared that when she heard about the year of His restoration, she knew this would be the year that she would have a baby. She was into her 7th year of marriage in 2015 and they have been trying for a baby. True enough she gave birth to a baby boy in last Oct. God is faithful to them. She said that baby was her possession and she had to possess her possession. I believe she must have gone through a lot during that long years of waiting, with many doubts and wandering. But thank God those were all in the past.

When I heard her share about her 7th year, I was so ministered. Afterwards I also told her I was very encouraged by her sharing. All these years of waiting, I could never be sure which would be the year I give birth to this baby. For at the start of the year I would be hopeful that this was it but this baby still didn't manifest at the end of the year. But thank God that when we crossed over to 2016, I was finally convinced that this is the year! This is it. Finally I will give birth to my baby this year! No more waiting, no more delay, I am going in to possess my possession!

As I put down my three wishes for this year, the Lord reminded me that this is the 7th time I asked for this baby since 2010. So this is really my 7th year waiting for this promise to come to pass. Other than this wish, the others had all come to pass in the last few years. I sensed that God is focusing on longstanding issues this year and this baby is one of them. It was a stubborn area of my life that refused to change after so long and I was so weary of seeing nothing change that I almost wanted to give up. The Lord gave me a word saying that this is the year He is working on such issues. He is so determined to settle it. No more delay!

I woke up this morning thinking about what happens in the 7th year for God's people. In his new book 'The Power of I Am', Pastor Joel said that in the 7th year, we will be released from age-old strongholds. We will be set free from such bondages. We will see the desires of our heart come to pass. All the struggling and suffering will be gone in one day. The 7th year is when you break free form any limitation that is holding you back. It looked as though it wouldn't change. It looked permanent, then one touch of God's favour came and things suddenly turned around. Suddenly a dream comes to pass. What happened? You came into a 7th year.

There is just something about the 7th year. It came to my mind about testimonies of how some couples received their babies in their 7th year. So I am going to get into agreement with God and say 'I am coming into my 7th year. It is my time to break free. Every chain has been loosed. Every stronghold has come down. I know I have been released into increase.' It doesn't matter how long it has been that way or how impossible it looks. When you come into your 7th year, all the forces of darkness cannot stop what God wants to do.

The 7th year is when you get released into overflow, into abundance. It's when dreams come to pass. He will release you from constantly struggling to an anointing of ease. God can turn any situation around. When it looked impossible, when all the odds were against you, when it seemed permanent, God said 'My child will not be a permanent slave to anything. She is coming into her 7th year.' Maybe you have put up with that depression, that dark cloud following you long enough. God is saying 'This is your time. Today is your moment. Get ready for your breakthrough.'

How do you get ready? Start talking as if it's going to happen. Start acting like it's going to happen. Start thinking as if it's going to happen. When you are in tough times, when it looks like your situation is never going to change, tell yourself 'I won't be staying here long. This too will pass. It's only temporary. It's not permanent. It hasn't come to stay. It came to pass.' I also thought about how God fully restored me in my workplace in the 7th year for I left a company in total defeat in 2004 but I left my last company with my head lifted high in 2011. God gave me double honour in place of my shame. He is so good!

FORGET THE PAST

Recently I have been impressed upon this truth: choosing to forget the past and pressing forward to lay hold of that which is before me. This is not the time to turn back; it's not an option. Advancement is the hour of the day and I am on track to retrieve the things that were once within my grasp but I wasn't ready for until now. I got to let the past go and stand in the present moment with excitement and expectation for the future that God has already given me.

When I was still in my cocoon in the dark on the backside of the desert, I didn't have much choice. But after I became a butterfly, I got to make a move if I am going to be set free to fly. I got to let go of my cocoon, my comfort zone. This is not the time to get sentimental, linger around what has been. It's also not the time to look at the past: what has not been for a long time, wondering why it didn't happen in those years, and whether it was my fault that I couldn't cross the Jordan river years ago.

God is saying that no matter what happened, all these were in the past. It's the future that lies before me which is more important. I also was told to get rid of those things that had gotten me downcast and depressed, locked in the past. I need to cooperate with God to declare what I want to see happen in my life instead of waiting to see what will happen. I have to believe and keep pressing through to the manifestation of this dream. Before long I will break free and rise to the new levels God has prepared for me.

As I explore uncharted waters and pioneer in new areas out of my comfort zone, I must not look back to old ways of thinking and doing. God is moving me into a new time. Though there had been moments in the past when I thought I had turned the corner only to find myself in the same old quagmire, I must believe that things will not go the way they did in the past. No matter how gruelling things have been over the long months, real change is coming soon. In fact, it is already happening as I have crossed over to the other side. Very soon, things will start to get better until my old life in the wilderness becomes a faint memory.

Holding on to any past thing, be it good or bad in lieu of moving forward keeps me in a narrow place full of sinking sand and not on the Rock. God will change what needs to be change and nothing can stop Him. So God is saying: don't leave the play by walking away in doubt and unbelief regardless of what is happening before you. Leave the past behind where it belongs and don't leave the play before the curtain opens on the next scene. Believe that God is hastening His word to perform it for me (Jeremiah 1:12). It is not a some day word but a now word.

My dear Friend, your dreams and desires are in the process of coming to pass, yes they are unfolding even as we speak now. It's a matter of time before God turns things around in your favour. Get ready for times of acceleration. Get ready for God to shoot you out further than you can imagine. You may be pulled back, had disappointments and setbacks but you had better get ready. When God shoots you out, He will make up for lost time. You have entered into a new season, a new time when God is doing a quick work. No more delay, no more waiting around for things to happen. God has already given the word early this year and He is speeding things up in your life. Therefore, refuse to look at the old things any longer. It's time to move on and possess your possessions this year!

Yesterday I was impressed to count the occurrence of 'no delay' messages in my journals. There were four mentions in last Oct and four in Nov but nine in Dec and eight in Jan till date. I also realised that God has been talking to me about dealing with longstanding issues that need to be changed. There were 16 occurrences on this topic every month from last Aug to Oct; 12 in Nov and 25 in Dec! Even from Jan till today, there were already 14 mentions of changes to longstanding issues that seemed to be permanent. I sense a vengeance of the Lord regarding this enemy of longstanding issue and of delay. That's why the Lord kept telling me to forget the past for it is no more. God says that this enemy of long standing issue, this problem that never seemed to be solved, I will see no more!

It really wasn't a coincidence that Doug Addison just shared his 2016 prophetic word: Get ready for alignment and new assignments! He said that many people are stalled because they keep trying to go back to old ways instead of leading out in the new. We need to get a new strategy to reach people and also to make money to finance what is coming. A major key for this year is found in Isaiah 43:18. "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.” We will need to let go of things that no longer work or that God is no longer moving on. Going into this new era will require us to look to God for our strategy. Just like with Isaac in Genesis 26:12, God wants to bless us 100-fold in the midst of economic difficulties. Don't look to the past for answers for this year God will do unprecedented things in your life! Be on the expectant look out!

KOREAN DRAMA: EMPRESS QI

Recently we have been watching Empress Qi, the Korean drama. Last night's episode was like the climax of the show because the evil prime minister Yan Tie was put to death in this episode. This prime minister and his family did a lot of harm and evil in the land, killing and framing innocent people just to achieve their wicked aim. In the previous episodes, attempts to thwart his plans were all futile.

We gnashed our teeth in anger and watched in frustration how he managed to get out of the trap again and again. Equally hateful was his proud and wicked daughter, who was the empress. She was the nemesis of Qi Liang, the main character of this drama who would eventually become Empress Qi. She would threaten, taunt and even tried to kill her several times. Once she even put a deadly curse on Qi Liang. But she never succeeded. And the curse went back to haunt her own family members.

Another time she pushed Qi Liang down the stairs but it was then that the imperial physicians discovered Qi Liang was pregnant with the emperor's child. What she meant for harm was turned around for good. It seemed that every attack of the empress would not only be thwarted, it also dealt more harm, heartache and frustration to herself. Every attempt to harm Qi Liang would only cause the emperor to love her more and hate the empress more. Yet she wouldn't give up because of her deep hatred for Qi Liang.

You know what was the biggest irony? The baby that the empress adopted as her own flesh and blood turned out to be Qi Liang's first child, whom she thought was dead! I have great admiration for the character of Qi Liang because she never once retaliated in impulse, no matter how angry she was with the empress. She always held her cool and bided her time. Behind the scenes, she was planning a counterattack which would not only strike out the empress but the root of the evil, who was her father.

Qi Liang was smart enough to know that getting back at the empress wouldn't help so long as the prime minister was around. He was the real backing behind her tyranny. Hence to get back at her, Qi Liang knew she had to eradicate the root, by putting the prime minister to death. That would cut off the source of the empress' power. In order to succeed, Qi Liang had allies helping her outside of the palace. These are governor Bo Yan and his nephew Tuo Tuo. Now I also have great admiration for Tuo Tuo for he was a great military strategist. He was also the wise counsel behind Qi Liang, teaching her how to handle matters in the palace.

And governor Bo Yan also had a powerful ally who was the deposed king of Goryeo called Wang Yu. He was also a valiant and capable man. He was able to win the hearts of people with his sincerity and care. Not only that, he had the uncanny ability to turn losers into winners. The key was that he never gave up, not once on his mission to restore his kingdom nor the people assigned to him. He could work with whatever was given to him, turning a losing situation around. He was the key person behind the prime minister's demise because he was a spy in the palace and worked with Bo Yan to fight against the prime minister from the inside.

I noticed that many a times, the victory was wrought not through Qi Liang or Bo Yan's own means. On the surface it looked that they were going to fail but the situation was turned around because of a victory wrought in another battle unknown to them. For example, Yan Tie's secret to holding the military power was because of his alliance with an underground traders' group. It was through that alliance he managed to amass great wealth to build and raise a powerful army. Wang Yu found out this secret of his and worked with a Turkish warrior who infiltrated into this trading group to find out the exact location of the gold bars. This was all behind the scenes.

As I watched the plot unfolding, I noticed there was a lot of things going on behind the scenes unknown to the main characters. And many of these hidden work by these spies was the key to nabbing the prime minister. The emperor and Qi Liang could never succeed by themselves no matter how hard they tried without the help of Bo Yan, Tuo Tuo and Wang Yu. This taught me a very important lesson. In order to undermine the enemy's power, one has to get to the source of that power. Many a times the location of that power is hidden. What you see on the surface are just manifestations of the hidden power. But to overcome the enemy completely, you got to get to the root of the problem, the source of the power.

It was just like Jesus came to manifest the works of the enemy. Many of the enemy's works to undermine our lives were hidden. We are in the light but he is in the dark. His attacks were all hidden from sight until they manifest. By the time we knew it, it was too late to retaliate or counter attack. Much of the dark powers were operating in the unseen realm and hence we found ourselves suffering damage. The Lord showed me the key to thwarting his plans was to operate in the spirit. Praying in tongues was crucial. Learning to listen to the Holy Spirit's voice and acting on it was another. I will share more of this in my subsequent blog posts.

CHANGE: THE NOW WORD

The word I have been hearing recently is change and new things. I read in a daily word  saying: Be careful not to go back to old ways of thinking and doing things as God is moving you into a new time. In last Dec, I also read about an article saying: Begin to change things around you. Get a new look. Change your routine, dressing style, the way you talk etc. Get rid of those things that have gotten you depressed and down, locked in the past. Understand that God is doing a new thing in your life.

In last Dec, God was telling me to get ready to cross over to a new time, a new year. Things will not go the same way they did in the past. I was told to not expect 2016 to be like any year we have seen before. It's unprecedented. I felt like the spiritual atmosphere being full of expectation in Dec, like something is about to be birthed yet I still didn't see any change. Things were pregnant and ready for the birth of something new. But there was a moment of silence just before it happens. It was a pregnant pause, as Doug Addison called it.

I was told that it might be anti-climactic and not all that dramatic when the new birth happens. All the anticipation and expectancy, the excitement would come from the years of waiting for this dream to come to pass. I was again reminded of how sudden that moment will happen, when it happens. Now Doug Addison also talked about how when God releases something to us, it will take time to germinate and form. Similar to the way a baby comes after 9 months of gestation. He told us to look back at Feb or Mar 2015 to see what were the things God spoke to us but have not fully taken shape yet. Doug Addison said the next 9 months will be a strategic time of birthing the destiny of many called to the next level. I think he is saying that the manifestations of the destiny will come in the next 9 months.

No wonder I was feeling the birth pains almost every month from Mar 2015 onwards and it was the worst in Nov 2015. The only months I had relief was June and Sep. It was an uncomfortable and restless time. Then in Dec, I sensed the spiritual atmosphere changing. After the cruise, on Dec 17, I felt that something has already changed and will be revealed in the days to come. And I didn't mean a spiritual thing, it was a physical change, visible to the natural eye.


Doug Addison heard God say to watch for something to radically change on Dec 17. If you are in need of a breakthrough with your health, finances and relationships, this is the time to expect a change of course. Something significant is happening in the spiritual realm right now and the plans of the enemy are not only being revealed but also stopped. I also realised that the enemy has been trying to tell me that those negative experiences I had every year will recur again. But God has been showing me the enemy's ploys and stopping them from recurring.

After the cross over to the new year, Heng and I were conscious of not doing the same thing just like before. We both sensed the need to flow with God in this area. If God wanted us to change things in our life, we will obey Him. Hence on the first day of the year, we went to a different shopping mall instead of our usual haunt. After which we went to the beach for a picnic in the evening. In previous years we would go to Changi Airport to reflect on the past year and write down our three wishes. But this year, we had to do this earlier in the Christmas week of 2015 because the corporate prayers for our church's three wishes was on 28 Dec. It was a deviation from the past.

This year, I also find myself much more open to changes and new things. In 2013 and 2014, I was still quite apprehensive about the magnitude of the changes to my life. I was feeling jittery about the changes then. But maybe after waiting around with no apparently change in an area of my life, I totally changed my perspective. Now I dislike the thought of being in status quo more so than having changes in my life. I was so eager and desperate to see changes in my life, any kind will do. So when God released the now word for this season, which is change and new things, forget the past, remember it no more, I embraced it! I felt like it was so good. Any change is good. So we went with the flow.

We changed our routine this year by letting Joshua take school bus in the morning instead of Heng driving him to school last year. As a result Heng has more time to spend with the Lord or he can go gym to work out. I also will be trying out a new brand of contact lens this year for a change. And today I got a new look by colouring my hair. This is the first time in my life I coloured my hair. It has always been black. God confirmed that it is good to make simple steps to change things in our lives through Doug Addison's word for today: New things are being established as you take simple steps. 

CONFIRMATION ABOUT ACCELERATION

When I heard Pastor Joel open his sermon with Amos 9:13, my heart leapt! Initially I thought he was talking about harvest time or something like that. It couldn't be a coincidence that this passage was something I read recently. I was all ears. When he mentioned that this is a year of acceleration, a year when God is speeding things up, I shouted Amen! Every fibre of my body resounded with his message, once again just like last year's theme about due season year! It was the very thing that God had impressed upon me. It has to be God!

The seed was taking root in my heart as I heard Pastor Joel talk about the testimonies of how it should have taken years but God made it happen much sooner than expected. I loved the one when he said he planned to make a love gift to a friend in need, which was like sowing a seed. But before he even got to do that, there was a phone call telling him of a donation to his ministry a hundred times the amount he was planning to give. Wow! This is a classic example of how the treader of grapes overtaking the ones sowing it! Whoever heard of the harvest coming no sooner than the seed being sowed! Amazing!

He also talked about the first miracle of Jesus which was also about acceleration. Turning water into wine. Everyone knows that making good wine takes years, even decades. However, in this miracle, Jesus turned water into wine in an instant. Pastor Joel stressed that nothing is impossible with God and He can do things in a split second what you cannot achieve in years. This reminded me of the phrase I stuck on my wall in 2005: God can do much more in a year than what you can do in ten years! That year I truly saw how God did much more than all other years put together! It was not only a year of restoration but of acceleration too!

Pastor Joel said that this year, God is going to do things so fast that you won't be able to catch up. It will make your head swim. Well, I had enough of circling the same mountain, of not seeing things change in an area of my life year after year, of having to wait a little longer and feeling that my finish line was pushed back again and again. I was so sick and tired of the delay in a promise. Delay in transitions for my ministry as well.

So can you imagine how I felt when I hear that God is speeding things up? I felt that things have been moving really slow for me in the past few years especially in this area. Most times I have been raring to go but I was met with roadblocks, setbacks and resistance. Well, God has turned all that out for my good by developing patience in my character. Pastor Joel said sometimes we have to be patient and wait for God to act but this year, it is not about having patience. It is seeing God accelerate things in our lives. I was like shouting within me: It's about time that happened!

I felt like I have lost so much precious time in waiting. Yes I know God was using that time to hone my spiritual muscles but I felt like I was lagging behind while others were advancing forward. And each time I tried to forge ahead in this issue, something came up to hinder my progress. Can you imagine how frustrating that was! And I know God also didn't want any more delay in this area. That's why He is speeding things up this year. There seemed to be a fury of pent up anger from the Lord, that's why He is accelerating things as if to make up for the lost time. To redeem those years eaten by the locusts.

2016: THE YEAR OF ACCELERATION

On 3 Jan, Pastor Joel said he sensed in his spirit that God is going to make things happen quicker than you thought this year. He will give you breaks and opportunities that will thrust you years ahead. God knows how to open the windows of heaven and give you a good break. It should have taken years but your situation turned around faster than you thought. Things will happen so fast, all at once that you wouldn't be able to catch up. And your head will swim.

God will do a quick work this year. Yes there are seasons of waiting with patience, passing the test but there are also seasons in which God will do things so fast and so amazingly. He quoted Amos 9:13 "Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord,"When the plowman shall overtake the reaper, And the treader of grapes him who sows seed..." Suddenly the things you have been looking out for happened so quickly.

God works with an attitude of faith and expectancy. The time is coming when the harvest will come up so fast, as soon as one sows. Typically the plowman will have to wait 7-8 months for the crop to be mature. But God is speeding up the growth of your seed. It won't be like the usual process, not like the past. Sometimes before you can put the seed in the ground, the harvest will already be there. Sowing and harvesting happens simultaneously. God will accelerate your harvest.

Jesus' first miracle is turning water into wine. Making wine is a lengthy process, typically 3-5 years for the vine to produce good enough grapes for wine. Better quality wine takes even longer, 5-7 years. The best wine need at least 10-20 years to ferment. This was a miracle of acceleration. God can do in an instant what should have taken you 20 years. Right now, God is working behind the scenes. Suddenly it's all going to change. Suddenly you are going to find yourself in places where you couldn't go on your own.

While patience is important, it is also important to believe for quick works and acceleration. God's timetable is not a natural one. He is in the acceleration business too. God speeds things up and takes you to the fullness of your destiny. God will shoot you out and launch you forward. You may feel like you have fallen behind. The more you pull an arrow back, the more pressure and tension, the further the arrow shoots out. God allowed you to be pulled back because He wants to shoot you further. Your destiny is greater than you can imagine. When God shoots you out, He is going to make up for lost time.

So don't get bitter and negative. Know that it is just a matter of time before God will release you and shoot you further. At just the right time, God will launch you to a new level of your destiny. When God is ready to shoot you, when it's your time, He simply propels you into your destiny. Nothing can stop Him. He has already lined up these times of acceleration. You may feel like you are being pulled back by setbacks and disappointments but you need to get ready for times of acceleration. The more accelerant you put on, the faster the fire will burn. Faith is the accelerant. Negative words are like putting water on the fire. Thank God for accelerating your dreams. Keep thanking God and being expectant. This is the year God is speeding things up. The year of acceleration.

YEAR OF POSSESSING YOUR POSSESSIONS

Pastor Prince declared the theme for our church in 2016. The year of possessing your possessions. He started talking about Kadesh Barnea, how the Israelites came to this place again after 38 years of wandering in the desert. Numbers 20:16 said 'When we cried out to the Lord, He heard our voice and sent the Angel and brought us up out of Egypt; now here were are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your border.' This was Moses talking to the King of Edom, after the 38 years of wandering. They first arrived at Kadesh Barnea two years after crossing the Red Sea.

In Numbers 13, even after the Lord told them repeatedly that it was a good land which He has given them, they still couldn't believe it. So the Lord let them send twelve spies to search out the place. It was sad that though the majority of them gave a glowing report of the land, they saw the giants living there. They said they were like grasshoppers in their sight and forgot all about how big their God was. They forgot that they didn't come out of Egypt by their own might but it was the Lord's leading. They forgot about how God drowned the Egyptian armies so that they wouldn't have to face these enemies again.

Only Joshua and Caleb saw their God bigger than their enemies. They said 'Let us go up at once to possess the land for we are well able to take it.' They had a different spirit from the rest. It was a spirit of faith. The rest said that they would die in the wilderness and God said it would be done exactly as they said. It was so sad. They were so close to the promised land but they refused to enter it because of fear and unbelief. They even said God hated them so much to bring them out into the wilderness to die. How cruel and untrue was that statement!

I heard a similar sermon preached by Pastor in end 2009. He also said that we were standing at Kadesh Barnea, the edge of the promised land. He said that 2010 was the promised land and yes, there might be giants to conquer, but God has already given us the land. The children of Israel were afraid of the giants who were afraid of them. God had gone ahead of us to prepare the way for us in 2010. He wanted us to labor to enter into His rest, a type of promised land for us today. When we rest, He works. God never made us to work hurriedly, at stress levels. We were designed to operate out of rest. Everything was a finished work. He is bringing us into a land flowing with milk and honey.

Even though we work, it's easy work, not hard laborious work. It is more like walking with God. God made man last so that man can enjoy all that God has prepared for us. He loves to surprise us. It gives Him great joy to see us happy, enjoying all that He has prepared for us. Everything in the promised land is a finished work. The Lord made the giants dig the wells, plant the vineyards etc. Deuteronomy 8:7-8 said 'For the Lord your God bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; a land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey'.

Israel refused to enter the promised land with God so He wandered with them for 38 years, as a pillar of cloud in the day and a pillar of fire at night. Such love! When the Israelites didn’t believe God about the promised land, God waited for them to pass away and entered it with Joshua, Caleb and a new generation. In Numbers 15:1-3, Moses talked about when they come into the land. This showed that it is a matter of time before we enter our promised land. God will never change his original purposes. Where men failed, Jesus made good. So we come to the end of men and depend on God’s goodness through Christ. 

Obadiah 17 says 'But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.' There is an inheritance, a blessing with your name on it, paid for by Christ. But you have to take it. I learnt from experience that facing and overcoming giants and fears is a must once you crossed over Jordan but you need not be fearful because the Lord is with you and He has promised victory. But you must still walk the path, tread the ground for every part of the land you tread on will belong to you.

This year Pastor will share with us how to walk with God. As we walk, we will possess our possessions. Not the OT way but the NT way. God knows the year ahead and wants us to lean on Him, draw from Him and enjoy His provision. We should no longer allow the squatter to sit on our land and not let another year go by without possessing our possessions. It is really about time, for us to possess our possessions this year. I don't know about you but I am like the Israelites who are sick and tired of circling the wilderness again. I can't wait to charge into my promised land to take back what rightfully belongs to me, already paid for by Jesus' blood.

GOD'S UNPRECEDENTED GOODNESS IN 2016!

A most happy and blessed new year to all you beloved! I believe many of you are happy to have crossed over into 2016 just like me. It may seem like an imaginary line to cross over but trust me, we are crossing over to an important time in history. I have been reading about how God is getting ready to accelerate His favour and we should get ready for God to do unprecedented things in 2016.

Pastor Prince posted on his Facebook yesterday saying 'Expect 2016 to be a year of God's unprecedented goodness in your life because He is ever-faithful toward you.' I also came across this article titled 'Amos 9 - It's Harvest Time!' By Edie Bayer.

NOW is your harvest time, that even if it seemed as if the last little bit of time was so hard, so excruciatingly hard, that all new beginnings require work – in order to receive the harvest. Now is a time of unprecedented fruitfulness!

God says in Amos 9:13 that the plowman is overtaking the reaper! Acceleration! What would have taken years before is now happening in real time! The Amplified Bible says, "...[that is, everything that was barren and unfruitful shall overflow with spiritual blessing]." 

That, my friend, is where you are headed, to a time of unprecedented fruitfulness that is overflowing with goodness and blessing! God promises in verse 15, "'And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be torn up out of their land which I gave them,' says the Lord your God."

Your land is here! The promises of God are here! Whether it is in business, ministry, relationships, or whatever – it's here! It will be fruitful, and no man will be able to pluck you up out of it. God is simply removing the last little bit of impurity so that you may experience it in its fullness, for His glory!

Just like for me, He has plans to bless you and prosper you (see Jeremiah 29:11)! He is working in your life to bring you to that place of overflowing fruitfulness. Allow Him to work in your life and remove the last little bit of dross. It will be well worth the effort! Expect it!