Whose Approval Are You Living For?

 

Take a moment and ask yourself—be honest: Whose approval do you truly seek when making decisions or taking steps in life?

More often than we realize, God gives us clear instructions and patiently waits for our response. Our choice to obey or disobey does not derail His sovereign will—what He has purposed will come to pass. Still, that does not diminish the significance of our obedience. There is something deeper at stake: our alignment with God’s heart and our posture of surrender.

We are called to seek God's approval above all else, not the validation of man.

Consider Moses. When the Israelites grumbled in the wilderness, accusing him of leading them into the desert to die of thirst, Moses cried out to God. The Lord told him to strike the rock once, and water would come forth. But Moses, overwhelmed with frustration, struck the rock more than once. Water still flowed, but his disobedience carried weight.

This moment wasn't just about disobedience in action—it was about a misalignment of heart. There's a crucial difference between willing obedience and reluctant compliance. Partial obedience or delayed obedience is still disobedience. God was inviting Moses to cooperate with Him so that Israel could encounter a new revelation of His nature, as the fountain of living water, faithful and trustworthy.

This is echoed in Jeremiah 2:13 (NIV):

“My people have committed two sins:

They have forsaken me,

The spring of living water,

and have dug their own cisterns,

broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”

So, again: Whose approval guides your choices? Are you living to walk in step with God's design for your life, or are you shaped more by the opinions of others?

God is inviting us to let go of the burdens, the false identities, and the spiritual clutter we’ve picked up along the way—those things that keep us from being open and real before Him. He calls us to approach Him with vulnerability and reverence—not out of fear, but from a deep awe and trust in who He is.

We are not mere servants working to earn acceptance—we are sons and daughters, welcomed into intimate fellowship. And as sons, we should come to Him daily and ask:

"Lord, help me walk out the life You designed for me."

This transformation into the likeness of Christ doesn’t happen all at once. It unfolds gradually, as we let Him lead, guiding our steps, shaping our desires, and aligning our hearts with His. In that place of surrender, we begin to experience the fullness of life He intended for us all along. God wants you to seek his approval and let him take the lead.

Stay Revived!

Are You in the Lord's Army?

Growing up, I had two favorite songs: "Oh, When the Saints Go Marching In" and "I'm in the Lord’s Army." This morning, I woke up singing "I'm in the Lord’s Army," and I couldn’t help but feel grateful to be recruited into God's army, an army that we come in when we tarry in the place of prayer, We are soldier recruited in the different section of God's army.

We live in a time when what used to be abnormal is now seen as normal. Morality and true Christianity are often viewed as outdated. But the Lord is calling His army to rise—to stand guard against the schemes of Satan. We are not to be entangled in the web of his demonic strategies, because something powerful is on the horizon. It's being stirred up in the atmosphere, the clouds are getting full.

God is stirring hearts. He’s preparing His people for an outpouring of His Spirit, a rain of revival that will sweep through nations. But for this to happen, He’s asking His soldiers—you and me—to partner with Him.

Romans 13:11–12 (NLT)

"This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here."

The enemy knows what’s coming. That’s why he’s working overtime to capture the minds of our young ones, making them unavailable and unprepared for God’s use. But as soldiers of Christ, we must rise and say no—no to Satan’s tactics, no to his deception, no to his demonic strategies wrapped in distraction and manipulation.

We must stand guard. We must watch over our children and ourselves and align our hearts with God’s direction. We must trust Him, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, to lead this fight and break the hold of hell over God’s people.

The truth is, we were never worthy of His love. But mercy has been poured out over us by the blood of His Son. And now, as redeemed ones, we must be vigilant. We must be watchmen, ensuring that God's plan to rescue souls continues without delay.

This revival will touch nations where Christianity is barely present, places with as little as 2% of believers. God's fire will ignite hearts in high places—leaders and decision-makers—who have the power to shift culture and bring transformation.

So, friends, let’s stay on guard. Let’s take our place in the army of Christ. Let’s stay awake, stay aligned, and stay expectant.

The rain is coming.

Stay revived!

Come a Little Closer.

 

So I used to think the Lord had favourite people. I used to think He loved some people more than others.

But as I read the scripture about Joshua's encounter with the Angel at Jericho, which says in Joshua 5:13–15 (KJV):

13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?

14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?

15 And the captain of the Lord’s host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.

As I read this, I realized that the Lord deals with us based on our intimacy with Him.

When Joshua encountered Jesus in the Old Testament, he wanted to know if the Lord was on their side or the enemy’s side. But the answer was simple: "Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come."

Here we see that it is our relationship with the Lord that makes Him attend to us faster than anyone else. Intimacy with the Lord sets us up for encounter, and for us to enjoy the realities in God's kingdom.

God is looking for men who will forget their position, their title, and the money they have—just to seek a deeper relationship with Him. All these things are important, but who does your soul belong to? And what does it yearn for?

I’ve come to realise that those who follow God never lose their way.

In the Old Testament, we knew God the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit. It was in the New Testament we realized that the Word is Jesus, and He is the Commander of the Lord’s Army. So the theophany Joshua experienced was Jesus.

1 John 5:7 (KJV):

"For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one."

He doesn’t pick sides. When He comes, He comes to carry out what He came for, and then He goes.

He is calling us today into the deep waters of His Word. He’s saying, “If only you can come a little closer, then I will show you all you need to know concerning yourself.” And the truth is, we are the ones who benefit from this intimacy with God.

It takes one who has been in bondage to understand what freedom truly offers—and God is offering that freedom to us today through His Son, Jesus.

He is saying: “A little closer... and I will come closer also.”

So make that decision today—to COME.

Stay Revived!

What Does Faith Mean to You?

What makes faith real to you? Faith has been given various definitions, yet there are moments when I question whether I possess the substance needed to attain the reality I seek.

Today, as I sit watching a movie, I am reminded of the Israelites who left Egypt. They witnessed battles and victories but often fell back into bondage. I found myself asking my sister, "Did these Israelites easily forget?" It didn’t take weeks, months, or years for their past to slip away; they often forgot God’s faithfulness. The currency we need to trade for the reality we desire is not lacking, yet we fail to recognize it.

Today, however, I gained a new perspective on faith. I see it as creating or holding a vivid mental picture of the reality I desire, one that becomes stronger than the opposing circumstances surrounding me. So as I approach God, I come with the intention to reclaim my purpose.

Defeat can stem from the many bonds we've faced. Sometimes, after being bound for so long, we fail to see what God is trying to do. I trust that God has a plan to bring us to the Promised Land. We have witnessed His abilities—His signs and wonders—but we most time still struggle to muster the strength to envision the end, the Canaan that God desires for us. Exodus (The Exodus)

Today, let us not only thank God for the victories we have won, but also ask for the strength and courage we need to birth the reality He intends for us. Carry with you the conviction that faith is a powerful mental picture of the future we desire. As JJ said, when God wants to raise seers and prophets, He first works on their minds, for every picture He shows us is a reality that needs to be birthed or altered.

For too long, the enemy has held our minds captive. When the Lord declared, "Without your transformed mind, I can do nothing," He understood that the negotiations we must make, the history He wants to change, and the battles to be won all begin in the mind. 

When these words resonated in my heart, I asked the Holy Spirit to work on my mind. Though I may not have lived for a hundred years, the time I have spent has brought experiences of hurt, rejection, failure, slander and victories. As I become vulnerable to God, He performs a miraculous work—He heals my soul and renews my mind. Without a transformed mind, He can do nothing. 

Stay Revived!