Are you ready to 'think outside the box'?

This is what the Lord has been speaking to me recently:

"I am always in the midst of doing new things among My people. Those who choose My way will always be thinking outside the box!"

The Lord is always doing new things. Nothing stays dull or stale when you walk with Him. I've seen this throughout my walk with God. So, be ready for new and exciting things in your life, going forward!

By the way, 'to think outside the box' is 'to think differently, unconventionally, or from a new perspective'. 

The Lord is real and He is willing to help you and give you the solutions in your life, as long as you stick to Him and seek Him.

Isaiah 43:18-19 (NKJV) says, 'Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert'. 

Indeed, the Lord can make a way for you where there seems to be no way. There will be no dead-end road for those who look to Him and trust in Him. If He can make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, you can be assured He will know how to make a way for you, whatever your situation may be at the moment.

There are some old ways, methods, or systems that do not work anymore in a new season. Therefore, you have to let go of those, and ask the Lord to teach you the new ways, methods, or systems that will work in a new season. 

1 Corinthians 2:9 (NKJV) says, 'But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."

In order to forgo the 'old thinking', you will have to substitute it with a new thinking. 

But how do you receive a new thinking from God? By knowing the thoughts of God!

1 Corinthians 2:10-12 (NKJV) says, 'But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God'.

You see, only the Spirit of God knows exactly what is in His mind (i.e. what His thoughts are). And this Spirit of God dwells in you! When you seek Him, spend time with Him and pray in the spirit (pray in tongue), the Spirit of God can tell you what you need to know and what you are to do in each new season or new phase of your life! 

Therefore, if you have the Spirit of God dwelling in you, you don't need to fear! You don't have to fear facing the future. You don't have to be afraid of the unknown in the future. Because when you seek Him, He will tell you what exactly you need to do and what steps to take, be it in your life, career, business, or ministry! 

Of course, when the Spirit of God speaks to you regarding what to do and how to go about doing it, there may be some people who will not be ready to hear it or accept it. They may judge you or even mock at you. But if you know the Spirit of God is the One who has spoken to you regarding that new way, new method, or new system, it will just be a matter of time before those critics or 'noises' will be silenced, when your results show!

So, take heart. There is no dead-end road when you have the Spirit of God in you. He will know how to make a way for you, and you will see yourself excelling in each new season or new phase of your life, no matter what happens around you in the world. Amen!

Click here for the full message in TiC YouTube Channel

How to move forward into the new?

The Lord gave me a dream recently. In that dream, there were two parts.

In the first part, I saw a garden, a neighbor's garden. And the Lord said, "You are not to enter the garden. You are not to look and imitate how other people are doing it, even though the garden was well-mended and the neighbor just watered the garden and it looked so nice. You are not to look and imitate how other people mend their garden. It is not true that the grass is always greener next door."

In the second part, I saw a big pile of exercise books, those books that have lots of questions where you have to practice a lot before you go for exams. And the Lord said, "You have to learn new things in this new season."

Know that the Lord already has His specific 'garden' for you, and you don't have to look at the left or the right at other people's 'garden'.

As for the second part of the dream, know that He is in the midst of doing new things through you, going forward. But fear not, because He will help you, and He will give you the grace and wisdom to walk into the 'new' that He has purposed for you.

In Isaiah 43:18-21 (NKJV), the Lord says, 'Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The beast of the field will honor Me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I give water in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My people, My chosen. This people I have formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise."

The Lord wants you to look forward. He doesn't want you to look at your past failures, past hurts, or even past achievements. He is in the midst of doing new things, whether in the lives of His people, or in His church as a whole. In this current precarious economic situation, the Lord wants to 'make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert' for you. He wants to open up a way for you. So, if you are 'out of idea' as to what to do (or how to go about) in your life, your business, your career, or your God-given ministry, be rest assured that He will know what to do (or how to go about). Isaiah 43:20 says the Lord gives 'waters' to His people, His chosen people!

But how do you move forward in life? Or how do you advance in life?

1. Allow God to set you free from wrong influences (Luke 5:36)
- whether wrong influences from the pagan culture, traditional practices, or customs that contaminate your trust in God and your walk with God;
- or wrong relationships or soul-ties that lead to unwholesome spiritual, emotional, or physical dependency.

2. Be responsive to God's instructions (Luke 5:37-39)
- when God has revealed that He is going to do something new, be ready to move forward and experience the new;
- however, if God's people insist on applying old practices, outdated methods, or any 'familiar' approach that doesn't work anymore, they will be stranded in the old season. It seems like a norm that most human beings are resistant to change;
- but blessed are those who are quick to respond to Him when He gives His instructions! The Lord is looking for such people, i.e. those who are ready for the new things that He wants to do! And these are the ones who would prosper, going forward!

3. Diligently guard the revelation/instruction that God gave to you (1 Timothy 6:20-21)
- indeed, it is so important to guard what God has entrusted to you, sticking closely to His specific instructions for your life, because not every good idea of man is God's idea;
- in order to guard what God has entrusted to you, distant yourself from those who try to impose (their ways) on you or exploit you. Never mind if people say you are proud, because what matters most is you fear God, not fear man.

4. Choose to always stay at the cutting edge (Hebrews 4:9-13)
- keep yourself 'sharp' in the spirit by spending time often with Him and His Word;
- when you come often into the presence of God, reading the Word and praying in the spirit, only then will you not be 'drowned' by the voices of this world or the voices of the people around you;
- that is how you can stay pure and genuine in His visions for you, and stay at the cutting edge in all that He wants you to do.

5. Remember to always give thanks to God (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
- give thanks for the good things He has given you in the past;
- give thanks for the good things you are experiencing now;
- give thanks for the good things that are to come in the future!
- when you start giving thanks to God, you will begin to see good changes in your life! There is power in giving thanks. Something happens when you begin to give thanks to the Lord. Never underestimate the power of giving thanks to the Lord!
- as you give thanks to the Lord, new ideas, new doors, new wisdom, etc will begin to come your way!

Amen!

For the preaching video in YouTube, click to watch

For details of this ministry, visit https://www.triumphinchrist.today/

Discerning your new door

If you are one of the many who are looking for a new opportunity or new beginning in your life, know that God can open a ‘door of escape’ and a ‘door of new beginning’ for you.

Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep… I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture (John 10:7,9).

In Greek, door (thura) is a portal/entrance; saved (sōzō) is to deliver/protect/heal/preserve/do well/be made whole; pasture (nomē) is feeding, providence.

You see, Jesus is your ‘door’! If you need to be delivered from your current circumstance and have a better life, ask Him and you shall receive; seek Him and you shall find; knock and the ‘door’ shall be opened for you (see Matthew 7:7-8; Matthew 21:22; John 3:27). As one of His precious sheep, it’s His will that you are ‘grazing in His pasture’ and enjoying His providence in everything you do. Your life is meant to be filled with His love, peace and joy even though you are living in this world that’s full of imperfection. So don’t be afraid or feel ashamed to ask your Abba Father for a good life (see Matthew 7:9-11; Luke 11:11-13; Galatians 4:6).

But how does one know which opportunity door is from the Lord? In the New Covenant, Jesus fills you with the Holy Spirit so that God can speak and reveal His wisdom to you through His indwelling Spirit. Knowing that the Holy Spirit would come into the life of His disciples, Jesus said His sheep will know Him and recognize His voice (see John 10:4, 14; John 14:17). Apostle Paul always attributed his success in Christian ministry to the revelation of Jesus Christ to him (see Galatians 1:12; Galatians 2:2).

How can one accurately discern if it’s the voice of God that they hear, and not self-presumption? The solution is mentioned by Jesus in the book of John 4:23-24, that is Christians shall worship God in spirit and truth.

Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:3, “For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” You worship God in your spirit by singing and praying in the spirit. When you worship God in spirit, the Holy Spirit helps you to pray (see Romans 8:26). Your spirit will be strengthened, and your mind will be clear (and objective) to hear what He wants to say. You are also drawing near to Him, humbling and surrendering yourself before Him, and being consciously dependent on Him instead of relying just on what you can do with your own strength. He will then exalt/promote you in due time (see James 4:6-8). It is obvious that there’s a strong correlation between Apostle Paul’s worshipping in the spirit always and the amount of revelation he received. This is the reason why he was effective in spiritual ministry and wrote so many epistles in the Bible (see 1 Corinthians 14:18).    

The Bible says grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (see John 1:17). Jesus’ perfect work on the cross has opened up the way not just to salvation, but also the blessings and goodness of God. In understanding God’s grace for you through His Son, you understand the truth. In Ephesians 1:17, Apostle Paul prayed for the believers in Ephesus to receive the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus. Therefore, when you worship God in truth, you will know His voice when He speaks, whether through prophecy, vision, dream, or a wise and productive thought dropped from heaven, and you will also be able to interpret His revelation correctly without the feeling of self-condemnation or unworthiness.

Here are some guidelines to help you discern whether your ‘open door’ is really from the Lord:

      ~  Remember, the new door should always lead you to a better life. (see John 10:10b)
~  Ask God for two or three confirmation, to be sure. (see 1 Corinthians 14:29)
~  There may be adversaries but God’s grace will also be clearly evident.
    (see 1 Corinthians 16:9)
~  God always backs up His words accompanied with signs beyond human effort.
    (see Mark 16:20)
~  No one can shut the door that the Lord has opened for you! (see Revelation 3:8)

May you move forward boldly through the ‘door’ of your new season, and with the abundance of His revelation. Amen.