• The Lord gave us a purpose for our lives long before we were formed (Jer. 1:5). However, most of us have forgotten to seek out our God-given purpose. 
• When we live for ourselves, we lose ourselves. As children of God, we are meant to live like royals according to His will. Do not compare yourself with people who chase after and achieve worldly success and fame—they are living in a polished prison. As much success as they have, they are also restricted in so many areas of their lives because of the attention they receive. 
• Beloved, do not take the freedom you have for granted. You are born with a God-given purpose. Fame and recognition do not fulfill your purpose in life. Your life does not have to be great by the world’s standards to be beautiful. If you think your life is insignificant, know that the Lord has ordained your life to be beautiful and purposeful just like a flower on a majestic mountain. 
• Chasing after fame and fortune does not satisfy the longing for meaning and purpose in your life. Even with these things, you will only find fulfillment when you use the influence given to you to serve and bless others. 

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• Each of us has a high calling from God. When you fulfill that calling, you are more fulfilled than people who are considered successful according to the world’s standards.
• Solomon, the man who had everything he wanted and dreamt of, began and ended the book of Ecclesiastes saying that all the success and riches he had were empty and vain (Ecc. 1:1–2). 
• As believers today, we can trust the Lord to give us fulfillment. Jesus said that He comes that we might have life and life more abundantly (John 10:10). Everything God has blessed us with, everything that we have today, was given to us to serve His purpose. 
• When you lose your life for His sake, you will find it (Mark 8:35). That is when you will step into the abundant and fulfilling life that Jesus died for you to have.
• When we take time to serve the Lord’s purpose, the Lord fulfills the desires of our hearts. However, when we place our focus on trying to attain the things we want, we lose out on the best God has for us.
• Some of us may find ourselves increasingly depressed with every new achievement. The more we try and the more we attain, the more we become depressed. It is because these things cannot fulfill us. Beloved, do not waste your time chasing after these things only to realize that you have missed the calling that God has given you. 
• Each of us has a unique high calling in Christ. We do not have to try to be somebody else because everyone’s purpose is tailored to who the Lord has called them to be.

• Bible prophecy about the coming of Jesus for our times
  “After two days He will revive us;
  On the third day He will raise us up,
  That we may live in His sight.
  Let us know,
  Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord.
  His going forth is established as the morning;
  He will come to us like the rain,
  Like the latter and former rain to the earth.”
  —Hosea 6:2–3 NKJV
• In 2 Peter 3:8, we learn that a thousand years with the Lord is like one day. With this, we can interpret “after two days” in Hosea 6:2 to mean 2,000 years after the resurrection of Jesus.
• “After two days” — We are the people living 2,000 years since the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The year 2022 can be considered to be early in the morning of the third day. Jesus rose early in the morning on the third day.
• We are the generation living in the “third day”—where we look forward to the rapture. But before the rapture, we can first look forward to the fulfillment of certain promises God has made to us, for example:
• “He will revive us” — The Hebrew word “revive” means “to restore to life.” He will revive our physical bodies, giving us life and health, especially in times like these where there are many new plagues and viruses in the world.
• Even with the increasing number of challenges coming ahead of us, we can hold fast to God’s promises that He will redeem us (Luke 21:28). The Bible says that when these things happen, do not be troubled. We can lift our heads up with confidence in the Lord because our redemption is drawing near! 
• “live in His sight” — This is another hint of the rapture. He will raise us up and we will live in His sight, have a face-to-face kind of relationship. 
• You will see the blessings of God manifest in your life.
• There are two seasons of rain in Israel that are vital for the people’s livelihood—the seasons of the latter rain and the former rain. The former rain happens in late October and causes the new seeds planted to sprout. The latter rain happens in March of the following year and prepares the grain for harvest. God gives rain for the sowing season and rain for the reaping season. 
• In the book of James, we see that we are living in the season of the latter rain—we are experiencing the harvest of His people. 
• The former rain, which is “moreh” in Hebrew, means “teacher.” This represents God’s supply of words of life, power, and beauty.
• Sometimes we may see God’s power in a situation but not yet see results. This can possibly mean that the seed is just being sown and the Lord has supplied the former rain needed for the seed to sprout. Friend, be patient—the latter rain will come and you will be able to harvest His blessings in due time.

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• Understanding Bible prophecy hidden in these New Testament and Old Testament stories: The Wedding of Cana (John 2), the Woman at the Well (John 4), the Raising of Lazarus from the Dead (John 11), the Splitting of the Jordan River (Josh. 3)
• “On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.”
  —John 2:1–2 NKJV
• “On the third day” — This has significance to us as third-day Christians who will see the rapture.
• “invited to the wedding” — After the rapture, we are going to have a wedding feast, for when we return to heaven as the bride of Christ on the third day. It is the marriage supper of the Lamb. 
• “So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. And many more believed because of His own word. Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.” Now after the two days He departed from there and went to Galilee.”
  —John 4:40–43 NKJV
• Jesus stayed with the Samaritans, who are not Jews, for two days after He met the woman at the well. This is a picture of how Jesus has stayed with the non-Jews in the world for 2,000 years.
• God is aware of the increasing demands of today’s world (Matt 6:8). In fact, there is a special promise that God has made to third-day Christians.
• “It shall come to pass
  That before they call, I will answer;
  And while they are still speaking, I will hear.
  —Isaiah 65:24 NKJV
• “Before they call I will answer” — The Lord knows about our needs even before we speak of them. Sometimes we intend to pray for something, but before we get to it, we realize that the Lord has already answered our needs. This is the acceleration that only God can provide. We are in the days where we can expect to see this prophecy in Isaiah fulfilled! 
• Back to John 4, we see that Jesus left the Gentiles after two days and returned to Cana where He had attended a wedding and performed His first miracle. This is a prophetic sign for us today—a divine hint that there will be a wedding feast 2,000 years after Jesus’ resurrection.
• “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.””
  —John 11:5–7 NKJV
• “two more days” — Jesus stayed two days with the Gentiles and returned to the Jews on the third day. What this means for us today is that in the 2,000 years since Jesus’ resurrection, He has been restoring and reviving the Gentile world. After these 2,000 years, He will return to the Jews and bring forth restoration and revival among His chosen people.
• “Then Joshua rose early in the morning; and they set out from Acacia Grove and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they crossed over. So it was, after three days, that the officers went through the camp; and they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it. Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before.””
  —Joshua 3:1–4 NKJV
• “After three days” — The ark of the covenant is a picture of Jesus. Jesus is about to move. Get ready for the rapture. 
• “Two thousand cubits” — This represents the 2,000 years between Jesus’ resurrection and us. You will have a bodily resurrection two thousand years after Jesus’ resurrection
• “So Joshua said to the children of Israel, “Come here, and hear the words of the Lord your God.” And Joshua said, “By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites”
  —Joshua 3:9–10 NKJV
• “He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites” — These were the enemies of Israel. On the third day, before the rapture, the Lord is going to drive out our enemies for us!
• In Corinthians, the Bible says that whatever happened in the Old Testament are “tupos,” which means “types,” for us to learn from.

• Here are the seven enemies that the Lord will drive out for you (from Josh. 3:10):

• “Canaanites” — The name of this enemy means “traffickers or barterers” in Hebrew. Canaanites represent the spirit of self-righteousness (wanting to barter with God / earn His blessings through your good works). You do not have to barter your good deeds with God for His blessings. God’s blessings and love for us can be freely received—they are unmerited and unconditional because of the finished work of Jesus Christ.
• “Hittites” — The name of this enemy means “terror and fear” in Hebrew. God’s heart is to drive out every fear and terror that is holding you back from living your God-given purpose. Any kind of fear has no place in your life because you are God’s beloved child. 
• “Hivites”— The name of this enemy means “squatters” in Hebrew. Squatters are people who illegally stay in your house and use things that do not belong to them. Perhaps the enemy is squatting on the influence you have over your children, making them heed the advice of the world instead of yours. Maybe the enemy is squatting your own personal belief system, stealing the word that God was sown in your life and replacing it with lies.

• “Perizzites” — The name of this enemy means “unwalled villages” in Hebrew. In the past, an unwalled village is one that is not protected. Those of us attacked by this enemy often feel vulnerable, alone, uncared for, and unprotected. Some of us fall into depression and anxiety because we feel this way.
• When the Lord says He will drive out the Perizzites, He means that He will shepherd you and keep you close to Him. As your Shepherd, the Lord protects you and fights for you. He keeps you in His embrace so you do not have to feel vulnerable. Beloved, you can rest easy knowing that the Lord cares, protects, and fights for you (Isa. 40:11).
• “He will gather the lambs with His arm” (Isa. 40:11) — The Lord wants you to feel safe and know that you are being held close to His bosom. It’s good for us to also share this image of Jesus with our children and tell them that Jesus holds them close to His heart.

• “Girgashites” — The name of this enemy means “dwellers in clay” in Hebrew. Clay is a picture of the flesh. The Lord is saying that He is going to deliver us from walking in the flesh. When we are born again, we are no more in the flesh but of the Spirit. However, as Christians, we must learn to walk in the Spirit.
• “Amorites” — The name of this enemy is derived from “amar” which means “slander” in Hebrew. This does not only refer to humiliation from a single person but also public slander. The only truth that you should believe is the unchanging and infallible Word of God. Deuteronomy 28:10 prophesies that the world will see that you are God’s beloved and they shall be afraid to make false and damaging statements about you.
• “Jebusites” — The name of this enemy means “down-trodders” in Hebrew. If you are being attacked by this enemy, you constantly feel downtrodden because of bad treatment, shame, or humiliation. Beloved, if that is you, the Lord promises to raise you up with His love, joy, and peace. This does not necessarily refer to a promotion in position, but you will experience an elevation in your spirit where your thoughts become wonderful and beautiful.

• As we approach the third day (the day of the rapture), the Lord is wiping out these enemies from our lives and bringing forth a season of restoration and revival.

• “Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over before you into the Jordan. Now therefore, take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from every tribe. And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap.”  So it was, when the people set out from their camp to cross over the Jordan, with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest), that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho.”
  —Joshua 3:11–16 NKJV
• “the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over before you into the Jordan” — This is a picture of Jesus going before us. The leaders you follow can lead you to walk in God’s goodness or keep you from walking in it. 
• “the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan” — This is a picture of the Lord clearing every sin committed since the time of Adam and pushing back the distress and trouble (Zaretan) brought about by Adam’s fall. This happens on the third day. 
• “the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest)” — God does not supply in advance of your need. The grace that God has given you is for today, and tomorrow He will provide you with the grace you need tomorrow. The waters parted only when the sole of the priests’ feet entered the waters. This requires faith.
• Similarly, in the story of Elisha and the Widow’s Oil (2 Kings 4:1–7), the supply of oil came according to the number of empty jars the widow had amassed. There has to be a need before the Lord supplies according to His goodness.
• When you serve the Lord, there is a release of His anointing and He will refill His anointing in you. Similar to how we know that it is toxic to keep and reuse the same oil, the Lord does not keep stale oil. He will always anoint you with fresh oil.