SUPERNATURAL JOY COMES WITH GIVING

Though the Macedonian churches were very poor, they were full of joy because they were givers. They supernaturally gave because God gave them the grace to give, and they gave beyond their ability. They excelled in giving because they responded to the Father's supernatural grace.2 Corinthians 8:1 (NKJV) Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia:The Macedonian churches responded to God's grace by faith and obedience. Whenever the Heavenly Father instructs us to do something, He always gives us the grace to do so. We must respond in faith by obedience and partake of His grace. The Macedonian churches did, regardless of their difficulties and many troubles.2 Corinthians 8:2 (NLT) They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity.Though they were very poor and had many troubles, they responded to God's grace of giving and were rich in generosity. Notice that they were not sad when they were richly generous. Instead, they were filled with an abundance of joy. It is not normal for very poor people to give and yet have abundant joy. Since the Lord gave them the grace to give, and as they responded by giving and giving generously, the Lord filled them with an abundance of joy. 2 Corinthians 8:3-4 (NKJV)3 For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing,4 They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem.How did they give beyond their ability? God's grace increased and brought them more to give when they first gave. God's increased grace enabled them to give beyond their ability. The increase in grace brought and supplied beyond what they had. Not only were they rich in generosity, but they were also eager and enthusiastic to give. 2 Corinthians 8:5 (NKJV) And not only as we had hoped, but they gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.The Macedonian churches were filled with abundant joy because they gave themselves to the Lord first, in tithes, offering, and serving Him. Then, they gave themselves to Paul to help him and his companions in their missionary journeys. They also gave to Paul, who went there to collect their offerings to support the Jerusalem church tide through the famine. The Macedonian churches were in extreme poverty, yet they could give beyond what they could and, in return, were filled with the abundance of the joy of the Lord. See, there is a joy of the Lord that comes from giving. They received abundant joy when they offered offerings to help the Jerusalem church. Also, God supplied them beyond what they had, and they had much left over for themselves. He would not just provide for the Jerusalem church and neglect the Macedonians' poverty. The principle of giving and receiving is God's spiritual law of life, and He will not violate His law. He must supply them abundantly with joy and substance.Rev. Cheong Yew KwongFaith Church SingaporePlease visit our website at faithchurch.sg#goodtoread ... See MoreSee Less

SUPERNATURAL POWER IN THE JOY OF THE LORD

There is supernatural power in the joy of the Lord because it is joy inspired by the Holy Ghost and not ordinary joy. 1 Peter 1:8 (NKJV)8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,Peter described a kind of joy in this verse: inexpressible and full of glory. It is this inexpressible joy that can only be expressed through laughter. It may also be released through dancing in the Spirit. Dancing in the Spirit is different from choreographed dancing. It is when the Holy Spirit comes upon you to dance, and you yield to Him by dancing. The joy from the Holy Ghost is full of glory, which is the glory of the Lord. We see from the Scriptures that the glory of the Lord is described as the power of the Holy Ghost.Romans 8:11 (NKJV)11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you …Romans 6:4 (NKJV)4 that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the FatherThese two Scriptures showed that the Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead. But it also revealed that it was the glory of the Father that raised Jesus from hell. We can see that the glory of the Father is the power of the Holy Ghost. When Peter talks about inexpressible joy (1 Peter 1:8), he describes it as joy full of glory. Therefore, when we put these three Scriptures together, we understand that there is laughter full of glory, which must be Holy Ghost-inspired laughter. Since the glory of the Father is the power of the Holy Ghost, the laughter that the Holy Ghost inspires is full of His power. So, the inexpressible joy of the Lord is full of the supernatural power of the Holy Ghost.If the Holy Spirit inspires laughter in our spirit, and we release it through laughter, then the tremendous power of the Holy Spirit will be released. As a result, healing, deliverance from depression, and other needs will be met. Nehemiah 8:10 (NLT)10 Don't be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!"Nehemiah also described the joy of the Lord as powerful because it will become your strength. When we release the power of the Holy Ghost through laughter, tremendous power is released, strengthening our spirit, mind, emotions and will. Healing can also be realised when someone yields to the laughter that the Holy Ghost inspires. The heavens will suffer violence, and Satanic power in the unseen realm will be shaken, turning loose those who have been made captive by the devil's power. The joy of the Lord is divine, has supernatural power, and is full of the Father's glory.Rev. Cheong Yew KwongFaith Church SingaporePlease visit our website at faithchurch.sg#goodtoread ... See MoreSee Less

MAKE A DEMAND ON THE DEVIL TO LEAVE

John 14:13 (KJV 1900) And whatsoever ye shall ask in My Name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.The Greek word translated as "ask" has the meaning of "demand." This verse does not say to demand from the Heavenly Father. It is to demand from the devil to take his hands off whatever he is holding that is ours, in the Name of Jesus.If anyone is under oppression, sickness and disease, or is suicidal, under the devil's influence, demand the devil to take his hands off and let them go. Come before the throne of no conditions and demand that the devil leave. Jesus said to demand in His Name. When we demand in the Name of Jesus, we keep our faith in His Name. It is the Name of Jesus that the devil must submit to when we make a demand. The devil must release what rightfully belongs to the righteous. It is the Name of Jesus that the devil must bow to. Demand and the devil must release and stop oppressing our children's minds.The devil must release anything that belongs to the righteous upon our demand. Demand our healing, oppression to leave, and our finances released. Then, send out angels to bring in the money. Every obstacle and obstruction in our lives must be removed. The devil has to take his hands off our family and loved ones, and any interference of the devil must stop. Demand all these in the Name of Jesus and let our faith hold fast to His Name, which never fails.The Holy Spirit's power will be released to break every bondage and hold of the devil when we bind him on earth. We demand that he releases the finances, stop oppressing the minds and command sicknesses to leave. We should also demand that the devil stop influencing a leader's election and all interferences that cause instability in our nation. We command the angels to help and pray much with unknown tongues until the angels are prayed through to assist in a situation. John 15:7 (NKJV) If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.When we have His Word abiding in us: 1. We will know what His spiritual blessings are in the heavenly2. We will not demand anything against the Word of GodThe word "abide" means a) "to stay in a place "to remain in a sphere," b) "to stand against opposition," "to hold out," "to stand fast," c) "to stay still," and d) "to remain," "to endure," "to stay in force." (Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. (1985). Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans.)With His Word staying in our spirit and mind and remaining in our mind, it will help us to stand against opposing thoughts of the devil that suggest we will not have what we demand. We hold and stand fast to what we believe, and the Heavenly Father will see to it that we have what we demand of Him. The word "ask" also means "demand" and is used in John 16:23-24. The Word of God reveals the spiritual blessings God has blessed us with. Then, when we make a demand on spiritual blessings or demand the devil to take his hands off and leave, it will come to pass. We will not waver nor doubt but can stand and hold fast until we see the blessings become a reality.Rev. Cheong Yew KwongFaith Church SingaporePlease visit our website at faithchurch.sg#goodtoread ... See MoreSee Less

SHAKE THE HEAVEN BY FORCE

Ephesians 1:3 (NET)Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ.Spiritual blessings in the heavenly are the Heavenly Father’s unfailing love and grace. Every spiritual blessing is there waiting for us to take and appropriate them into the natural. But between the third Heaven, where the Heavenly Father is, and the earth, there are the second and first heavens, where the devil rules and reigns. Satan and demonic powers will always try to block God’s blessing from being a reality on earth.Jesus once said the kingdom of heaven suffered violence. What does that mean, and how does that have anything to do with us?Matthew 11:12 (NKJV) And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.It is not the Heaven where God is that is suffering violence. It has to be the first and second heavens where Satan is ruling and reigning. The Scripture reveals there is a kingdom in heaven that suffers violence. Especially during Jesus’ earthly ministry, Satan’s kingdom in the first and second heavens suffered violence. Satan has the authority to rule and reign in the spirit that influences natural kings and emperors of kingdoms. Satan also oppressed many people with sickness and disease when Jesus was on earth. When Jesus healed the oppressed, Satan’s kingdom in the heaven was shaken. The power of the Holy Spirit broke his power over the sick. Consequently, Satan’s kingdom in the heaven suffered the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit’s power forcefully removed the people from the bondage of disease, paralysis, and demon possession. When that happened, Satan’s power and kingdom suffered violence and losses; he lost his grip on people’s lives.Anointed by the Holy Spirit’s power and released from the earth, Jesus’ ministry violently took back people’s lives from Satan’s rule and dominion. People were released from sicknesses, diseases, and paralysis, raised from the dead, and delivered from demonic spirits.Jesus is no longer on earth. He has given every believer His authority over Satan and his demonic powers. Therefore, we now have authority in Jesus’ name and His power to deal with Satanic forces. When we make all the demands on the Heavenly Father’s blessings, the kingdom of heaven is shaken. Satan’s kingdom in the first and second heavens suffer violence when we, for example, demand sickness to leave someone’s body, oppression of the mind to lift, finances be released, and angels to go forth to bring the finances in. The more forceful we are in our demands, the greater will Satan’s kingdom suffer. Then, we are taking our blessings by force. Do not be timid about taking the spiritual blessings in the heavenly that rightfully belong to us because the Heavenly Father has blessed us by His grace.We shake heaven by force by praying much with unknown tongues, releasing tremendous power, and dynamically shaking Satan’s kingdom. The stronger the anointing to pray, especially when the local church comes together for united prayer, the greater Satan’s kingdom suffers violence. Through forceful prayers, we shake heaven by force to release the Father’s blessings and make them a reality. Rev. Cheong Yew KwongFaith Church SingaporePlease visit our website at faithchurch.sg#goodtoread ... See MoreSee Less

MAKE A DEMAND FROM THE HEAVENLY FATHER'S BLESSINGS

Ephesians 1:3 (NKJV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.In the original text, the word "places" is not there. There are spiritual forces that hinder God's blessings in the heavenly from coming into reality on earth. Between the third Heaven, where the Heavenly Father is, and the earth, we have the first and second heavens, where the devil rules and reigns. Though God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly, they still need to be released into reality here on earth.Matthew 11:12 (NKJV) And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.It is not Heaven where God is that is suffering violence. It must be the first and second heavens where Satan is ruling and reigning. When Jesus began His ministry on earth, Satan's kingdom in the first and second heavens suffered violence. Satan has the authority to rule and reign in the realm of the spirit to influence the natural kings and emperors of kingdoms. He also oppressed many people with sickness and disease when Jesus was on earth. When Jesus healed the oppressed, Satan's kingdom in the heavens was shaken, and his power over the sick was broken by the power of the Holy Spirit, released through the Son of man, Jesus. Satan's kingdom in the heavens suffered the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit's power forcefully took the people out of the bondage of disease, paralysis, and demon possession. When this happened, Satan's power and kingdom suffered violence and losses; he lost the grip on people's lives. Jesus' ministry on earth, anointed by the Holy Spirit's power and released from the earth, violently took back people's lives from Satan's rule and dominion. People were released from sicknesses, diseases, and paralysis, raised from the dead, and delivered from demonic spirits.John 16:23 (NKJV) "And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.The definition of the word "ask": 33.163 αἰτέω; παραιτέομαιa: to ask for with urgency, even to the point of demanding—'to ask for, to demand, to plead for.' [Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 406). New York: United Bible Societies.]The Heavenly Father has already blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly by grace. When we place a demand on the Heavenly Father in Jesus' name, we urgently demand, with tenacity, that His blessings be fulfilled, and manifested on earth in reality. When we do so, the Heavenly Father and His mighty power will release His blessings forcefully through the kingdom of Satan to manifest on the earth in our lives. As a result, the kingdom of Satan's heaven suffers violence, and we forcefully take it by the force of the Holy Spirit through faith. Through faith, we place a demand on spiritual blessings, and the Heavenly Father will force it through Satan's kingdom for us on earth. And His spiritual blessings will become a reality in our lives. Our every need is in the spiritual blessings in the heavenly. God's plan for our future and our children's future is there. Greater is the urgency, and greater is the demand of faith from your spirit. The greater the demand, the greater the power of grace is released to punch through the Satanic kingdom, causing the blessings of the Father to come upon you. Rev. Cheong Yew KwongFaith Church SingaporePlease visit our website at faithchurch.sg#goodtoread ... See MoreSee Less

THREE REASONS THE HEAVENLY FATHER PROSPERS US (3)

When Jesus was on earth, He had all the finances to meet His and His disciples' needs and even pay them and His taxes. Jesus had more than enough and had Judas Iscariot to manage the finances. So, the first reason the Heavenly Father prospers us is that poverty is not God's will. The second reason is to meet the needs of the church and others. The third reason He prospers us is for the fulfilment of the Great Commission Jesus laid down before ascending to be seated at the right hand of the Heavenly Father.#3 For the Fulfilment of the Great CommissionGod's people must prosper to fulfil the Great Commission. Therefore, if we seek the Kingdom of God first and the will of His Kingdom, impart the Word of Faith and Grace, save those lost and get believers baptised with the Holy Spirit, we can expect to be blessed and prosper as Christians. Jesus said this here.Luke 19:10 (NKJV) for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."We have been given the ministry of reconciling the world to Christ. We certainly must walk in prosperity to have the funds to get it done. Jesus also said we need the power of the Holy Ghost in our lives to carry out the Great Commission. How will we fulfil the Great Commission if we are poverty-stricken? Without funds, it is difficult, and we will be limited in how much we can do to get the gospel out. Throughout the Bible, God's work typically has been financed by the tithes and offerings of His people. The tithe is ten per cent of the harvest or grain or increases received. The giving of God's people took care of God's house and those who worked there and provided the funds to carry out His work on earth. The Scriptures linked to prosperity are found in Malachi 3:10-11.Malachi 3:10–11 (NKJV)10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the Lord of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.11 "And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field," Says the Lord of hosts;The windows of heaven are already open. It takes faith to have access to His windows. These verses talk about many windows of blessings. We have access to His grace of blessings through these windows when we tithe by faith. Tithing is linked to prosperity. When we tithe by faith, God will reveal where the devourer is, and we will have the strength of faith to use our authority to bind and forbid the devourer from devouring us. When the local church's needs are met, she can continue fulfilling the Great Commission. Thus, fulfilling the Scripture.Deuteronomy 8:18 (NKJV) "And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.ConclusionThe devil robs people who do not tithe and give offerings.Some people are always concerned about not having enough money. No matter how much they have, they always think they do not have enough for this and that. They worry about meeting their future needs. It will lead to making wrong decisions. When we do not tithe, we walk in disobedience to God's Word. We hinder ourselves from receiving divine wisdom from God and may eventually find ourselves in financial difficulty because of yielding to devilish wisdom. As a result, one wrong decision will lead to many more wrong decisions. Recognise how the devil works. Demonic wisdom leads to making bad choices in life. As a result, people do not have the grace to be content and follow God's leading to greater prosperity and success.Rev. Cheong Yew KwongFaith Church SingaporePlease visit our website at faithchurch.sg#goodtoread ... See MoreSee Less