Your Hand would be with Me

Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” (1Chr. 4:9). Amongst the many names mentioned in this chapter, we find that the Bible describes Jabez as the more honorable of his brothers. The word “honorable” implies more spiritual strength than his brothers. This is in contrast with the Cretans “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” (Titus 1: 12) who were spiritually weak as they succumbed to the sin of lying. The Lord wants us to have a strong spiritual impact. “Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.” (Mark 15:43). Joseph was influential because he was concerned with spiritual matters. Putting spiritual matters first in our lives causes us to become influential.
Jabez was spiritually influential because he was a man of prayer. His mother named him Jabez because she delivered him in pain; however, he brought about great joy even more than his brothers. The Lord blessed him in a very special way which is why he is mentioned in scriptures. Many things that are brought through difficulty and labor in prayer produce Jabez, who brings joy! “Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God” (Colossians 4:12). He labors in prayer that the believers might stand perfect and be fruitful in the kingdom of God.
“And Jabez called on the God of Israel” (1Chronicles 4:10). Change came about in his life as he was a man of prayer. During that time, the nation lived a loose life giving in to sin, but he lived differently calling on the God of Israel whom he knew was a strong God; faithful in his promises, for he is the God of victories and the God of healing. He brought his people out of Egypt, the land of slavery, with a mighty hand and with great plagues on the Egyptians. Therefore Jabez can trust the Lord, as he is the one who delivers on all his promises.
“Oh, that You would bless me indeed” (1Chronicles 4:10). He expects great unceasing blessings from his great God.
“And enlarge my territory” (1Chronicles 4:10) Enlarging his territory means taking over the land from the enemy through battle. He requested the Lord’s support in this matter. Truth is: there is no gain in spiritual or material matters without going into warfare. This means standing against the old nature and the influence of the world. Also, resisting the attacks of evil spirits using the name of the Lord Jesus, proclaiming the power of the precious blood of Jesus, and using the Word of God which is the sword of the Spirit. “How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers has given you?” (Joshua 18:3)
“That Your hand would be with me” (1Chronicles 4:10) longing to always enjoy the presence of the Lord. “Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions ... The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him” (Ezra 8:21, 22). We need to pray so as the Lord can give us straight paths, send his fear before us, and have His hand upon us to save us from
the enemy and from ambush along the road. A New Testament example of people who were spiritually influential were the ones who were scattered after the persecution, “Now those who were scattered after the persecution ... And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord” (Acts 11:19, 21). Prayer was the key to their strength in the ministry.
“And You would keep me from evil so that it does not hurt me!” (1Chronicles 4:9 [AMP]) His prayer was for protection from not prevention of evil, that he might not be destroyed. That’s exactly what happened with Paul and Silas in prison! Evil was conquered before them as they prayed and praised the Lord, and the prison became a place for the enlargement of the Kingdom of God!!

Prayer: I want to thank you Lord because you are good to me. Your love for me is tied to the covenant built on your blood sacrifice on my behalf. I also want to thank you for the great blessings that never fade. I thank you that you want me to conquer and enlarge my territory and for protecting me from evil!!

The New Beginning

The New Beginning
The Lord is calling you to new beginnings in all areas of your life: relationship with the Lord, ministry, family, and work. Beware that Satan wants you to slide backwards and never advance forward. Proclaim that Satan's work will ultimately fail.
“'I have loved you,' says the Lord 'Yet you say, ‘In what way have You loved us?’ ... Even though Edom has said, 'We have been impoverished But we will return and build the desolate places,'”.(Malachi 1: 2, 4) In the above passage, the Lord declares his love for his people despite their miserable condition; they doubted the Lord's love for them which is the worst thing that can happen to anyone. "Many waters cannot quench love" (Song of Solomon 8:7). The Lord's love is steadfast in spite of our sins, wanderings, betrayal, and ingratitude. A new beginning, brings about deliverance from all bondages and all that Satan has done in your life in the past.
Proclaim in faith that the Lord demolishes all that Satan built in your life!
"Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth;" (Isaiah 43:19). The Lord is speaking about a new beginning that will come upon Jerusalem in the future. "'The Lord has forsaken me, And my Lord has forgotten me'. 'Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; ... Your destroyers and those who laid you waste shall go away from you.'"(Isaiah 49: 14-17) The Lord never forgot you; for you are inscribed on the palm of his Hands. He deeply cares about you and will do new things in your life; He will remove all that Satan brought into your life. If you come to the Lord, He will stop all that works against your thoughts, feelings, and health.
"Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,
' This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.'" (Exodus 12:1, 2) The Lord addresses you while you are in the land of slavery, disgrace, and bitterness telling you He is able to start a new beginning in you marking this beginning as the head of the months. The blood of Jesus have brought about this new beginning. As the lamb was slain, the people got out of Egypt ending the authority of Pharaoh (Satan) and enjoying complete freedom. Satan's efforts will be brought to naught, for nothing stands before the power of the blood "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb." (Revelations 12:11)
"When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, ... And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2: 1, 2, 4) The disciples were praying with one accord for the infilling of the Holy Spirit according to the Lord's promise. "Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high" (Luke 24:49). When we pray with one accord seeking divine power we will be able to resist sin and the world. Be humble before the Lord, confess your sins to be cleansed by the blood and seek the infilling of the Holy Spirit for wisdom, love, strength, and guidance.
The Lord called Jeremiah to be a prophet to the nations. However, he suffered from low self-esteem. Besides, the king and the people were against him, so he gave in to self-pity and started to blame the Lord. "Why is my pain perpetual And my wound incurable, Which refuses to be healed? Will You surely be to me like an unreliable stream, As waters that fail?" (Jeremiah 15: 18) The Lord told him to refute these evil thoughts; "If you take out the precious from the vile You shall be as My mouth ... And I will make you to this people a fortified bronze wall; And they will fight against you, But they shall not prevail against you; For I am with you to save you And deliver you,” says the Lord" (Jeremiah 15: 19, 20). Get rid of all self- pity, and grumbling against the Lord and be sure that your life has a great meaning and a great plan from the Lord. Envision yourself as a fortified city and that even though your enemies might attack you they will surely not be able to overcome you.

In new beginnings, we need the blood of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the confidence that in Satan's war against us we are more than conquerors, because the Lord has prepared for us a great plan to walk in, to be always above only going from glory to glory, restoring the years that the locusts have eaten.

The Lord Loves Me

New Beginnings Album Dubai 2015 Conference
The Lord Loves Me
Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.” (John 13: 37), "Peter answered and said to Him, 'Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.'" (Matt. 26: 33), also "But he spoke more vehemently, 'If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!'” (Mark 14: 31). Peter's dependence on his own will and love for Jesus resulted in his great failure and denial of the Lord. We again, invariably fail when we trust in ourselves.
"Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved." (John 13: 23). John enjoyed Jesus' love, which is the privilege that every believer, even the worst, has. Because Jesus was "a friend of tax collectors and sinners!" (Matthew 11: 19), we also can enjoy His love for us. We will never be put to shame because our relationship with the Lord depends on His grace.
Do you enjoy a close relationship with the Lord? Rest assured that He loves you despite your wobbly feelings - pray that you will not fail like Simon Peter who trusted in his love for the Lord.
"Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke. Then, leaning back[a] on Jesus’ breast, he said to Him, “Lord, who is it?” (John 13: 24, 25) and Jesus answered him. Tell yourself: the Lord loves me, makes me enjoy His bosom, and answers me when I ask Him.
Come to the Lord Jesus now to heal the hardness of your heart. The Lord loves us in spite of our shortcomings, thus there is no reason to fear Him, "There is no fear in love" (1John 4: 18), One can always enjoy the Lord's bosom for He said, "Call to Me, and I will answer you" (Jer. 33: 3). I will ask the Lord and he will answer me at the right time.
"When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, 'Woman, behold your son!' Then He said to the disciple, 'Behold your mother!'" (John 19: 26, 27). John was able to accompany the Lord to the cross because he was established in the Lord's love. "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities" (Isaiah 53: 5). And he saw "The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1: 29). At the cross, the Lord assigned His mother to the care of John. The Lord still assigns those who rest His love with roles in for His kingdom. Speak to yourself: Jesus loves me, He knows me by name, reveals to me, by the Holy Spirit, how much He suffered for my sake. He will assign me a role and give me the ability to fulfill it, He said, "My grace is sufficient for you" (2Cor. 12: 9)
Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” (John 21: 7) Peter, and some of the disciples went back to fishing without seeking the Lord's guidance. They were unable to catch anything. The Lord came to them to correct
their mistakes and even make those mistakes work for their good. The Lord comes to the shore of our failures and shame and mends everything. In this incidence, John was the first disciple to recognize the Lord; as if he was claiming: I am John whom the Lord loves, corrects when I am wrong, mends my mistakes, puts on the right track, and does not leave in failure or privation.
The Lord loves you and wants to lavish His love on you, answer your questions, assign you with tasks to accomplish, and He comes to you to correct you when wrong, and fulfill all your needs. Lean on His love, come to Him and surrender your life to Him to live the life of glory and enjoyment!!

New Beginnings Album Dubai 2015 Conference

His faithfulness in our frustration




“Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul” (Lam. 3: 22-24).  Therefore, I can pray: “In Your faithfulness answer me” (Ps. 143:1), because His compassions fail not, and because they are new every morning
The Lord’s faithfulness in facing our frustration:
And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter … And the people complained against Moses (Ex. 15:22-24).  The people were overjoyed because they came out of Egypt, and because Pharaoh and his chariots drowned in the sea.  After they sang the song of Moses proclaiming the: greatness and wonderful works of the Lord, they walked for three days in the dessert without any water.  When they finally came to an oasis, they assumed the Lord had met their needs saving them from thirst.  Instead, they were shocked and started murmuring against Moses when they discovered that the water was bitter.  We are often frustrated when things don’t happen as expected; an example of that is what happened with Elijah.  After fire came down from heaven and ate the sacrifice, Elijah killed the prophets of Baal and expected that this would end Jezebel.  However, she threatened to kill him and this frustrated and depressed him. “And when he saw that, he rose and ran for his life … and he prayed that he might die.”(1Kgs 19:3, 4)
The way to overcome frustration is to set your eyes on the Lord, the faithful one, not on circumstances or people.  Tell yourself the following words: I declare that all things work together for my good, even other people’s mistakes.  If the water is bitter, the Lord is able to remove any bitterness from my circumstances and from my heart.  
If you ask the Lord to help you focus on Him, He will protect you from your surrounding frustrations and heal your circumstances.
“So he cried out to the Lord and the Lord showed him a tree, when he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet.” (Ex. 15:25). The Lord is able to remove bitterness from our hearts, healing us from depression just as he did with Elijah, and also to deal with our circumstances according to His great faithfulness.
The tree points to the crucified Jesus who loved us and died for our sakes.  Therefore, do not fling away your confidence for He will definitely heal you, removing your bitterness as He did with the Israelites in the past.  Not only did the Lord heal the waters, but also brought them to Elim where there were twelve springs and seventy date palms!! What a compensation!! If we are faithless, He remains faithful.
“When I heard, my body trembled; … That I might rest in the day of trouble … Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”(Hab. 3:16, 18).  As Habakkuk prayed, he found rest and rejoiced in the Lord.  Follow Habakkuk’s example and do not focus on people or circumstances, but only on the Lord and the Holy Spirit will work in your heart and fill you with joy and confidence in the Lord!
“You have a mighty arm; strong is Your hand, and high is Your right hand; mercy and truth go before Your face…. But My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him,… My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him, nor allow My faithfulness to fail” (Ps. 89: 13,14, 24, 33). The Lord remains the faithful one; He will never lie or alter what he uttered.  Therefore, we can always trust him in the midst of fluctuations.
“Then Noah built an altar to the lord (after the flood) … and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground” (Gen. 8:20, 21).  The burnt offering symbolizes the work of the Lord Jesus for us on the cross forgiving our iniquities and sins to redeem us from the curse.  “Thus I establish My covenant with you … never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth … I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.” (Gen. 9:11, 13).  The rainbow was set in the sky to remind people that there will not be another flood to destroy the earth.  “and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald” (Rev. 4:3) We will see the rainbow in its fullness in eternity; meaning that our perception of the Lord’s faithfulness on earth is limited.  In heaven, we will see the full rainbow and grasp the faithfulness of the Lord fully.  The rainbow in its beautiful green color speaks about vitality and life.
“Then he said to me: “This water flows … And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live.” (Ezek. 47:8, 9). The Holy Spirit resembled by water brings healing, joy, comfort, doubling our strength and peace


A Man of Rest



“And of Asher he said: Asher is most blessed of sons; Let him be favored by his brothers, and let him dip his foot in oil.  Your sandals shall be iron and bronze; As your days, so shall your strength be” (Deut. 33: 24). Moses blessed this tribe by:
  • Fruitfulness and enlargement
  • Dips his foot in oil; by the power and the leadership of the Holy Spirit , he moves from glory to glory enjoying the protection
  • Sources of harm will be closed by iron and bronze and satan cannot open them.
  • As his days, so shall his strength be no matter what the time or circumstances are.
The Lord’s will for you is to be like Asher, enjoying all these privileges.  Trust that as you walk with the Lord, he carries you on the everlasting arm; blesses you, renews your strength like the eagle, and gives you rest all around.  If you are being threatened by satan; say as my days, so shall my strength be.  If you fear old age; say as my days, so shall my strength be because the great giver of rest, the Lord Jesus, wants to accompany us and to walk the entire path with us.  He said, “come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest … and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matt 11: 28) He paid the price of rest on the cross.
Three characters in the Bible enjoyed this rest.  All were kings; and this means that the Lord wants you to live as a king.
King Jehoshaphat: “Then the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around” (2 Chr.20: 30)  The Lord gave him rest in all areas of his life as he faced the alliance of three armies against him.  He prayed: “We have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” (2 Chr. 20: 12).  Jehoshaphat confessed his faith in the divine deliverance.  For this reason the Lord’s reply was that the battle was not theirs but God’s.  These armies were confused and they helped to destroy one another.  Confess your faith that the Lord disperses any evil alliance against you because of your faith in the precious blood.
King Asa: “For they had sworn with all their heart and sought Him with all their soul; and He was found by them and the Lord gave them rest all around” (2 Chron.15: 15) and in (2 Chron. 14: 7) “We have sought the Lord our God; we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side” Seek the Lord with all your heart and trust that His blood delivered you from the sense of guilt and you will enjoy rest and prosperity.  The Lord will not let you down.

King Solomon: “But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor evil occurrence” ( 1 King 5: 4) and in (1 Chron. 22: 9) “Behold a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies all around.  His name shall be Solomon, for I will give peace and quietness to Israel in his days” Every believer is called to be a man of rest and to carry out ones dealings while enjoying rest.  Refuse any burdens from satan; make the Lord Jesus your Lord and friend; and He will carry your burdens.  Then you can be a man of rest just like Solomon.

Come to the Lord and you will have rest.  Cast all your burdens on Him for He cares for you … He knows what you need for He is a good Father.

Preserves You from all Evil


The Lord promises definite protection for the ones who have a true relationship with the Lord Jesus, who have been washed from their sins by the precious blood.  This teaching is clearly stated in Psalm 121, one of the songs of ascents, which was sung as the people went up to Jerusalem to celebrate the following three feasts:
  1. The Passover: to thank the Lord for His salvation
  2. The Feast of the Pentecost: to thank the Lord for His material blessings
  3. The Feast of the Tabernacle: to thank the Lord for His protection

This Psalm was sung, as they journeyed, for protection from:  the rough road, robbers, and scorching sun also:
“I will lift my eyes to the hills – From whence comes my help?” (Psalm 121: 1) I lift my eyes to the Lord; where the real help comes from.  Thus I will not fear the road.  I receive assistance from the hand of the Lord.  “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121: 2) who controls incidences and people for my good and my protection.  He subjects politics and laws for my peace and prosperity.
“He will not allow your foot to be moved;” (Psalm 121: 3) Satan always tries to harm you and labors to make you stumble, but the Lord safeguards you from going down to the Pit, and preserves you from falling into sin.  Thank the Lord for His protection; which is confirmed in many verses such as:
“For You have delivered my soul from death.  Have You not kept my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?” (Psalm 56: 13)
“He makes my feet like the feet of deer, and sets me on my high places.” (Psalm 18: 33)
“They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down; they have dug a pit before me; into the midst of it they have themselves fallen” (Psalm 57: 6)
“He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.” (Psalm 40:2)
All these verses confirm the continuous protection; thus the psalm reiterates, “He will not allow your foot to be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.” (Psalm 121: 3). The Lord does not slumber to give His beloved the ability to sleep; meaning He always protects you.  It is not dependent on you.  Be free from worry and cast all your cares and fears on Him.  The Lord preserves you from known and apparent dangers as well as hidden and obscure ones, “The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.” (Psalm 121: 6)
Enjoy definite protection and recap this Psalm when you face danger or fear, for “The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand.” (Psalm 121: 5)
“The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul.” (Psalm 121: 7) Proclaim these words, for they are able to put an end to your fear.  You will be restful and able to sleep in tranquility and peace.  The Lord will send His angels to protect you; no plague shall come near your dwelling.
“The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.” (Psalm 121: 8) The Lord shall preserve you at the beginning and at the end; the beginning and the end of a phase, representing life in general which is made up of going out and coming in … meaning He will protect you all the time.
Say to the Lord: You are my Help and protection.  You preserve me: preserve my soul, emotions, and preserve me from all evil.  You preserve me in your will and prosper my path.
Proclaim: I am fully preserved by the power of God!
My Redeemer Lives

For I know that my Redeemer lives (Job 19: 25) Job was passing through a very difficult time and his friends made it even more difficult as they lacked divine wisdom and divine support.  In the midst of all of this, his morale sank but he was not conquered and his faith proved to be genuine.
Even though Job was attacked and subjected to so many tough emotional, health, and family stresses, yet he chose not to give up on his faith.  His response was totally different than what we would typically expect in such severe situations.
The word redeemer was mentioned 44 times in the Old Testament (sometimes translated as savior in Arabic).  The redeemer was the closest family member.  His duties were taking care of the one he was responsible for. If his land was lost, the redeemer did his utmost to restore the stolen land and return it to it’s original owner. He also avenged the murdered and was thus called the blood avenger.  Moreover, he had to marry his deceased brother’s wife, beget children if his brother had died without begetting children, and name them after him.
True faith will never fail, therefore after calming down one will still find it in his heart.  Trust that the Lord cares for you, restoring all that has been stolen.  So, confess your faith that “my Redeemer lives”.  The Lord Jesus is our living redeemer having taken revenge on Satan on the cross.  He is close to you setting you free from the bondage of sin transforming you into a son of God.  He restores all as did David when he “recovered all.” (1Sam. 30:19).
Our relationship with the Lord is rooted in the certainty expressed in Jobs words; “for I know”. Let us be real when approaching the Lord being confident that He loves us and gives us eternal life through the washing of His blood.
The Holy Spirit testifies to our spirits that we are God’s children.  We are heirs of God’s blessing; He will never leave us nor forsake us.  “for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day” (2 Timothy 1: 12).  We are confident that the Lord protects us from all evil; that He makes us inherit the blessing not the curse and that He is our redeemer who rescues us from all evil that might befall us.  “who delivered us from so great a death, and does[a] deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us” (2Cor. 1:10)
 “Nor enter the fields of the fatherless; for their Redeemer is mighty; He will plead their cause against you.” (Proverbs 23: 10, 11).Declare that even though no human protects you, it is your redeemer who is alive, mighty, and pleading your cause.
 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: “The children of Israel were oppressed, Along with the children of Judah;… Their Redeemer is strong; The Lord of hosts is His name.  He will thoroughly plead their case, That He may give rest to the land, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon.” (Jer. 50:33, 34). The people of God were weak at that time.  If you are weak, you can say my redeemer is mighty; for when I am weak then I am strong.  The Lord will not leave you to be plundered.  Persist in resisting Satan’s continuous attacks and the Lord will surely intervene on your behalf with his sword drawn against your enemies to save you.  Remember that His name is the Lord of Hosts! He has lots of angels to dispatch to you to save you!  Do not give in to weakness or oppression.

For I know that my redeemer lives, the Lord of Hosts is His name.  He will plead my cause