Destiny

Hmmm... just wanna blog about certain things that happened to me as i was watching TV just now... I was watching News 5 Tonight when they showed this story of how the Singapore government is setting aside $5 million to facilitate interaction amongst ASEAN youths or something like that.. And then the commentator said something about the numer of youths in southeast asia being 300++ million and suddenly the Holy Spirit hit me and i started tearing cos i knew that He was revealing to me something about my destiny... The Lord wants me to minister to youths and young people.. and i knew in my heart at that moment i was crying for them... the thing is, i like to dream BIG... i have a lot in my heart to do but i'm gonna need the strength, wisdom, resources, etc... Oh God, help me not limit You...

So that's one of the ways the Lord speaks to us.. when He puts certain things in our hearts and we know that it's part of our destiny... was watching American Idol and i was impressed with Josh Groban's performance with the African Children's Choir.. and when i saw those children i was just filled with compassion for them. I'm in the Youth and Children's ministry and i know i'm in the right place at the right time cos these are the people that God is gonna send me to in the days ahead...

Every dream has a birthplace... It starts somewhere small but with God around, it erupts to a BIG reality... Oh God, help me not limit You...

Start dreaming! :)

It is Now

Yesterday, i was pondering that it's been a while since i had a spiritual dream but before i came out of bed this morning i had one of a particular significance.. So here it is for the encouragement of everyone.. I dreamt that i was back in SA (JC i think).. and there was a group there who put up three presentations... the first one that they put up was a dance to the song "It is Now"... the other two i can't really remember... but in the dream, i was so excited about their performance cos i seemed to have dreamt about it before (the song, the dance, the stage, etc..)... *For those of you who are somewhat lost, what i had was basically a dream within a dream* So seeing what i already dreamt coming by on stage, i took my phone and i filmed the dance.. but i didn't get the whole thing so after their performance, i asked whether they could do it again.. and they said they would.. but they went to perform their other shows first. I wanted to video the next time they performed the dance so i waited for them. While waiting i walked around the school and i saw Auntie Ivy there (dun ask me why) and then she was singing to herself the song "It is Now" and then i stopped and asked her why she was singing it and apparently the song just came to her.. i knew i wasn't singing the song so she couldn't have gotten the song from me... so anyway, after i left her, i went back to the auditorium where the concert was and filmed the encore performance of the dance...

Ok... i believe that there are many ways one can view this dream but the prmary thing about it that struck me was the song "It is Now" cos it occurred several times and even the time Auntie Ivy walked past while singing it served as a confirmation that it's a song that God is highlighting. Here are the lyrics:

It is Now

Lord as we pray
Let your Kingdom be here
We believe, we believe it is now
Come be enthroned
In our midst as we sing
You are King, You are Lord
You are crowned

Just like a mighty army
Marching into battleground
As we declare that Jesus-
He is Lord- aloud
There's nothing that will stop us
When we come in His power
We want to see a breakthrough
We believe, we believe
It is now

And so i believe that by highlighting this song, God is gonna give us breakthrough.. now is the time for breakthrough, now is the time for revival. It is the day of breakthrough for us and what we'll be doing is that we're gonna be singing and dancing through our breakthrough.. yes... so that our mandate for worship evangelism can be fulfilled. Watch out for this year's WMD camp from 21-23 June... God's gonna give us breakthrough and launch us into the next level. Oh... and the fact that I saw Auntie Ivy singing that song means that there's not just gonna be breakthrough in Youth but also in Children' Church... It's a year when we're gonna see our dreams come to pass!

So let's all wait in eagerness and expectation... Mark the camp dates on your calendar.. Begin to seek the Lord for breakthrough... NOW!!!

Wah.. the Lord is really moving very quickly this year and we all gotta catch up.. Yesterday, i wasn't feeling myself again cos i was overwhelmed with a lot of thoughts going through my mind... They were quite negative lah.. in fact i was even thinking of not going for prayer meeting but i went anyway... sometimes, when God is moving, we face a lot of spiritual attacks, especially in the area of our mind. but anyway, on my way to church, i was teeling god to send someone to speak to me...
So anyway, went for prayer meeting and when we broke up into groups to pray, Gerald joined my group and later when Pastor Ban asked us to pray for one another, i knew Gerald was gonna pray for me.. which he did... and amongst other things he prayed that even during this time of seeking God for answers, that i would have steady hands and clarity of mind. So now i feel better... cos there were a lot of things on my mind but the Lord gave me clarity.. and we need steady hands too to be faithful and keep on doing the Lord's work... In all this, i also thank God for answering my prayer and sending Gerald into my life to pray for me and speak into my life.. So praise the Lord! ;)

Let's move on ya? ;)
God bless! :D

The Wisdom of God

Hmmm... I wanna thank God for a few more things that came up recently.. The Bible says let him who boasts boast in the Lord so i'm gonna do my fair share of boasting now.. It's the season where tutors are giving back the assignments after marking them.. and remember that week that i had four assignments to clear?? :) Ok.. been getting them back and here's how they've been going: For my TS1101E critique, i received an A... For my HY2247 essay on fencing, i was emailed by my prof a few days back saying that i havent handed it up yet! That gave me such a fright until i read the email he sent a few minutes after saying that there was a miscommunication and i actually handed it up on time.. :P that's a relief.. apparently i got a 77/100 for it! Hallelujah! For my forum participation, i got a 75/100. For my SSA1202 Project, Jen messaged me yesterday saying that we got an A! Praise God... :D For my EN2113 essay that i did on one of my favourite subjects, X-Men, my tutor gave me an A-/B+. For my Sociology assignment, i didn't manage to go and collect it and it's quite pointless to collect it now cos the exams are over but when i met the tutor, he said to me that if he wasnt mistaken, i did well "as usual"...

Ok now that i've gotten your attention, i wanna talk about the wisdom of God. The wisdom of God is what sets me apart from others i walk with. Take note that it's not me, it's God and the wisdom comes from Him. When i did my projects and assignments, it wasn't as if i spent a lot of time preparing for them but the Lord was gracious that i got those results. I have to balance my time between studies and ministry and time and time again, the Lord has honoured me in my studies even as i put a lot of time in to serve Him. He's the One who grants me the grace, wisdom, strength to do well... I believe that as a son of the King, i should do excellently in every area of my life so i can reflect who He is cos He's an excellent God...

This is how i believe the wisdom of God functions.. you see, i prayed the Ephesians 1 prayer over myself for some time and i found that it did take effect upon my life; that God would give me the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, that the eyes of my heart will be open that i may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints and His incomparably great power for us who believe... The results were this: When i read the scriptures regularly, study them and meditate on them, the Lord will begin to highlight the meaning of the scriptures into my heart and i would have no problem understanding them and even communicating them to others... How does this translate to my studies? Everytime i do an essay, the wisdom of God enables me to have fresh insight into situations, into cases and arguments and that's what gives me the edge.. Even my Sociology tutor remarked in class about the things i talked about and asked whether he could cite me... Sometimes even when i'm having a normal conversation with people, the wisdom of God would just cause me to answer a particular question or give a solution to a particular problem and it would just flow out of my mouth. God is awesome, yeah... He gives wisdom to those who ask.. It's in James chapter 1 i think.

Another way that the wisdom of God was functioning in my life was when i took Divinity in SAJC as an A-level subject.. it was a priviledge in itself to study the word of God in school... but what was amazing about it was that the Lord would give me insights into His Word and thus enable me to write good essays on it.. The way i studied for the subject was different from the way my classmates studies. They read theological dictionaries and model answers from our seniors... i referred to these occasionally but the main thing i read was the Bible.. and not only did it save me time from reading other material, it ministered into my life as well... By the wisdom of God, i even managed to answer and do well for essay questions that my classmates wouldn't attempt... The wisdom of God in my essays would cause my classmates to photocopy them to help them study too. By the wisdom of God, i got an A for Divinity for A-levels and the school awarded me the honour of being the top Divinity student in the cohort during College Day... It's the wisdom of God that sets us apart from the rest and when we have the wisdom of God, other people would get drawn to us and they will come to us and then we'll have the opportunity to point them to Him... When Solomon manifested the wisdom of God, people came from all over the place to hear it! And what else did they do during their visits to Jerusalem? They went to see the magnificent temple that Solomon built of course, and hear about God! It's the same thing.. when we walk in the wisdom of God, the world will turn to us and they will turn to Him who gives it! You know you want it... Ask for it, contend for it.. He'll give it to you! :D

God bless! :D

Breakthrough

Have you every played one of those computer or console games when you need to defeat a certain boss or overcome a certain obstacle before you can move on to the next stage? They used to have a lot of those, especially in the 90s before lanning came about... And den after playing a game until a certain point of difficulty, you find that you cant seem to go on beyond that point.. like you always get defeated by that boss, or your character seems to die over and over again at that point?? And remember those few times that you did get past it into the next stage, but barely... only to get defeated with one shot from the next boss... and then you have to start all over again or at least from the last time you saved the game... I was just thinking how it parallels our walk with the Lord.. how we want to move on but always seem to get stuck at one point... sinning over the same issues over and over again... stumbling and falling over and over again because of the same reasons... and do you remember those times when you think you've gotten better over that stronghold only to stumble again at another point?? It sucks doesn't it... The thing is, life is not a game where we can just keep on restarting over and over again or from the last point where we saved. And most certainly, there are no cheat codes that we can just type in to skip the current one and move on to the next... What we need is a breakthrough in our walk with God. And it comes about from pressing in and seeking Him in our weakness, humility and contrition. It will never do if we keep focusing on ourselves, our failures, our inadequacies, our limitations. The point of life itself is for us to wake up and realise that the solution is not on ourselves but on the One who is greater. If we keep looking inwards instead of upwards, we won't see His gracious provision, the way out that we are looking for. All these things are there to bring us to our knees and to point us to Him. So let's all seek the Lord and look to Him, not to ourselves for He lifts up those who humble themselves (see James 4:7-10)...

Have you been stuck in one of those stages where some nearby volcano erupts and you have to get out of the place cos of an earquake or some impeding lava flow... and there's no where around you to go.. you're surrounded.. there's a wall before you and some oncoming lava behind you.. and you realise that the only way out is to move upwards. Without these things in our lives, we'll stay on the same plane where we're already living, contented with the status quo and our comfortable form of spirituality.. but as the pressure builds up and we become frustrated and desperate, it provides us with the impetus and motivation to seek the Rock that is higher than us. There are no cheatcodes, no infinite life, no invincibility.. Just Jesus.

So 40 days of prayer and fasting are coming.. let's take it seriously and let's all contend for a breakthrough in our own lives, the ministry and the church...

Today had SC1101E test.. I wasn't feeling well in the morning and i felt very moody in the bus journey, mildly indulging in self-pity for my constantly dripping mucus and once again unarmed with the necessary ammunition of tissue. Felt very irritated within my soul even as my body was in quite a discomfort, though bearable... when i finally got off at NUS i just thought that i'd praise God anyway.. and so i did.. and i felt better.. when i took the paper, it went quite well and i had my spiritual jukebox playing songs within my spirit and i was just worshipping God on the inside... i felt His presence there with me.. Thank You, Holy Spirit.. :) I dunno why it seems to happen to me quite often during exam seasons.. as in when i'm taking the exam itself, there would be songs in my spirit.. perhaps it's cos the hall is all so quiet with everyone doing their own papers that you can actually hear and be more sensitive with what your spirit is singing...hmmm if that's the case, then there's something seriously wrong with our society that we don't even have this kind of awareness of ongoing spiritual worship cos of all the noise around us.. either that or we're just simply not worshipping.. whatever the case, i thank the Lord for His presence. Dunno why but it seems easier to draw near to God during times of exams.. probably cos you know you need Him.. :)

The Spirit of Revival

Ok... here's an update of what's been happening during the weekend.. it's really been quite the roller coaster ride for me these past few days.. i'm not always on top shape spiritually u know though most of the time i appear to be.. but well God has been gracious lah..

Ok went for Uth service on saturday and seriously, that afternoon, my mind was just so bogged down by a lot of things and a lot of thoughts, some negative, were flying through my mind everywhere... I was glad i sat under the anointing and Sheela was worship leading. When she sang "when i look into Your holiness" I found that the Lord was just telling me to just let go of all those thoughts and burdens and surrender them to Him. I've been keeping a lot of things to myself that have been weighing me down from coming into His presence. Actually thinking about these kinda things is quite addictive.. but it's also quite destructive. And it causes you to focus on man and not on God and it keeps you from the very Source of where you're gonna receive your healing and comfort.. talk about killing two birds with one stone.. But anyway, the worship on Saturday was really refreshing.

I just wanna say also how it's so amazing how great the worship team sounds under the anointing.. dunno why but there's really a difference and you can hear it.. And the team yesterday flowed so well.. dun let ur head swell but i thank God for the bunch of you.. though many times some of you may feel inadequate in many ways and may look to urself and ur limitations, i still believe in the way God is gonna use you in the days ahead.. stay tuned! :D

One of the things that was impressed upon me duing the worship was that the Spirit of Revival was there in our meeting... and there was really a tangible change in the atmosphere as people were crying out to God. Let's press in, everyone! After the worship, Val took the session and as i was sitting there in the Lord's presence, He dropped a word in my heart saying "The Spirit of Revival will come upon those who are ready"so my question today is are we ready?? Are we willing to make ourselves ready?? How much are we really hungry for Him and hungry for His work to be carried out in our midst?? How ready are we? God is really moving in our midst and i dun want any one of the youth to miss out. That's why we're having the 40 days of prayer and fasting- in order to set our priorities straight, come back to God and get ready for His move in our midst! Even Val's sharing goes along the same lines of being prepared for us to enter into the promised land! So let's all position ourselves for the Spirit of Revival to come upon us!

Today was a very interesting day cos errm.. a lot of interesting things happened! Firstly, happy birthday to William! May God comtinue to prosper you as you walk with Him. Shared in NT in the morning and took the vocalists and we talked about song arrangements... Then i went up for Children's Church and apparently, Sheela was supposed to be worship leading but there was a bit of confusion regarding the roster but she did anyway though the preparation was last-minute. I was playing the keys for her. I was so impressed by her faith and boldness that God would touch the children- and he did and His presence was so strong in our midst... The thing is that i was already much used to those draggy and dreary worship sessions where the kids would hardly even be singing at all, much less lifting up their hands and responding to the Holy Spirit. Yeah... it's another classic case of lack of faith. When i was playing keys, i didn't really expect God to move but He did.. and i feel ashamed for not even believing Him for it. I was impressed with how Sheela challenged the kids and how the Lord really moved them to respond to Him! We are in the midst of revival! The presence of the Lord was so strong that Auntie Ee Moi was releasing a prophetic word during the worship- that God was saying "Look unto me" (cant really remember the rest). Auntie Ivy also released a word from Ezekiel 36 (i think) for the children... God was really there and He's really faithful. Though the preparations were so last minute, He still showed up. I'm really excited at what God is doing! Are you?? :)

And so apparently i was supposed to share and do the teaching for the kids.. and i really enjoy teaching them cos they're really a lively bunch.. and with a heart of service too! Evan wanted to help do the powerpoint.. but guess wad.. Yvette beat her to it and asked me first.. i'm so thankful to God for these small little things.. The kids are really interested in what you say and they really engage you as much as u engage them.. perhaps even more! As I started the session, i spontaneously greeted them, "Are you ready kids?" and guess wad... they spontaneously replied "Aye aye, captain!" (c.f. Spongebob intro) Really love them loads... Hmmm here's the surprise... i was only on my first slide of my teaching after giving them the introduction that i received a report that- guess wad- service was over! Hahaha.. and so i had to continue another time.. cos the worship took a relatively long time and the speaker for the adults ended kinda early.. and so soon, the parents would stream to collect their kids and i had to end after even i barely started... hmmm.. but i enjoyed the moments of it nonetheless! :)

Had meeting in the afternoon and went upstairs to join in the remaining time for choir practice. Then Amanda and Dot played for me the part that i was supposed to sing and *gasp* *jaw drops* *deep breath and a few off-pitched notes* It's really not easy to pull it off lah.. hmm.. but i'll try it out again after they have transposed the whole song a few keys downwards... :P

Oh.. i almost forgot.. i wanna thank God for how He has blessed me.. He has blessed me again today.. and in more ways than one.. and i wanna use this time to publicly acknowledge the work that the Lord is doing in the midst of His people. I wanna acknowledge the work that the Holy Spirit is doing in the ministry and the church and each of our lives.. in bringing about changes, in helping us to see things from His perspective, in changing our mindsets, in reviving and stirring our hearts, and in preparing our hearts for revival. Our hearts have to catch up with Him and what He's doing! We're living in revival! :D Yeah!

Are you ready?? ;)

The Promise

So much has been happening this past few days that sometimes i find it hard to catch up... Pray that i wun fall into temptation... God is always faithful ya... ;)

Ok... so anyway, one thing that i didn't post about regarding my last post on prayer meeting was that as i was praying, i sensed that there were angels which were entering the sanctuary. Ok..fast forward when i was at home that evening and then i wanted to send out a verse to my LG members and a passage from Isaiah 55 came into my mind:

For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. Isa 55:10-11

And so as i was sending out the verse to my LG, i felt that the Lord also wanted me to send the verse to Auntie Lee Noi. Then the next morning, i received a message from her in reply to my message. Apparently the verse i sent her confirmed the impression that the Lord gave her during prayer meeting that we are gonna see every promise from God come to pass and not a single one will fail. The verse she sent me was Joshua 23:14... here it is in the Message version:

As you can see, I'm about to go the way we all end up going. Know this with all your heart, with everything in you, that not one detail has failed of all the good things GOD, your God, promised you. It has all happened. Nothing's left undone--not so much as a word.

I'm very excited at what the Lord is doing in our midst... and talking about the angels, i believe that they've been sent for the purpose watching over those things that the Lord has promised to us and to see them come to pass. :)

Ok... went to school yesterday for Ts1101E practical exams. Apparently, the judges gave a lot of not so good comments about our performance which didn't turn out as well as i had hoped. Then yesterday, i got back my TS test paper and i found that i scored a 3.6 upon 10. So i was quite surprised and down... but anyway, i'm posting all this cos i wanna thank God for it anyway cos no matter what turns out, He's still God anyhow.. So i wanna thank God and bless God anyhow. :)

I learned by experience that when i focus on the negative, on what i didn't achieve for TS and how i urgently need to "make up" for it with my written exams, i found that i was continually drawn to it even more, becoming more anxious about the outcome. Even though i was committing it to God in prayer, i was also becoming more kan choeng about the whole situation. But when i started blessing the Lord unconditionally and even though i didn't do so well for my test and practicals, i felt that i was becoming much lighter as i blessed Him. Sometimes that's all we need to do...

Yesterday had a late dinner with Al after studying and i was just sharing with him much of what the Lord has done and has been doing in my life and we were just sharing about God's faithfulness over macs.. and the unction of the Lord was upon me and some of the things that i shared during that conversation was inspired by him... i wanna jot some of them down so i wun forget... apparently, al raised to me the question of how we're gonna build up the 2nd liners and then by the wisdom of God, i suddenly knew what to say to him.. cos for quite a while now, the Lord has been speaking to me about the importance of the process as opposed to just the product and this applies well to leadership. We have to learn how to focus on the process and not just the product cos many times, we become so pruduct oriented and goal driven that we miss out on the joy and the building of meaningful relationships that come with the process. I believe that's one of the shifts that the Lord wants to bring this season... stay tuned.. we're in the midst of a spiritual revolution! :)

Ok... just wanna thank God for a few things. First of all, that Gideon agreed to play guitar for Gatekeepers. I'm so proud of him! :) The other thing that i wanna thank God for is what happened early this afternoon. Ok...bran has a party later and i had absolutely no idea what to get for him so i went down to AMK Hub blindly looking for a potential something to get for him... and as i was passing by the basement, the Holy Spirit gave me an idea... and only after i bought it did i realise that what the Lord suggested was quite lame lah... hehehe... well God has a sense of humour... so now thanks to Him, i got something liao.. curious on what it is? hehehe... you'll find out later! :D

ciao! God bless! :D

Prayer Meeting

yeah.. another P post... just came back from prayer meeting and i can't wait to post this.. later you'll know why.. anyway, today, Pastor Ban gave a sharing on God's mercy and gave some of the prayer pointers for healing and unity as we're broken before Him... and later he invited us to kneel on the altar to intercede.. and i'm so amazed cos it's exactly what i sensed God wanted to do when i was worship leading a week ago.. that's why i chose the song "healing grace" and that's why i laid the carpet out on the altar last week cos i was kinda expecting that we were to go to the altar on our knees and cry out to God... and that's also why i chose the first prayer pointer during last fri's gatekeepers to be on repentance for strife and a plea for God's healing to come... My point here is that we're all receiving the same thing from the Lord as to what He's doing! Probably never has there been a point in history where Sojourners and the main Church are hearing the same thing and moving in the same direction.. can you see revival coming? :)

Anyway, why i was so excited about posting this.. ummm... post was cause i wanted to jot down and procalim some of the impressions that the Lord gave. So anyway, after praying a prayer of repentance and healing, i was led to pray for the pastoral team and for a resurrection of vision that has been burried over the years. I srongly sense that one area that the Lord wants to bring a resurrection to is the area of community penetration. As i was asking the Lord for strategies regarding community penetration, the words "student centre" came into my mind... Now pause for a while and think of all the possibilities... Now do you see why i'm so excited?? I told Pastor Ban about it and he told me that we used to have in Yishun which no one wanted to do... but then last week he shared on taking back what the enemy has stolen. Could this be one of those areas? :)

Now think of the implications of this for a while, for the church and especially for Sojourners ministry... firstly, this kinda thing needs manpower to operate.. secondly, it needs a place, a location. Thirdly, if it's gonna be an outreach to young people, it's gonna involve Sojourners in one way or another.. those who receive the Lord through this ministry will, after all, need follow up, counselling , guidance, etc... Hmmm.. if you're in leadership in Sojourners ministry, could you pray through this with me and seek the Lord for confirmation that this is indeed what He wants the church to move into? And 2nd liners you better prepare yourselves mentally cos you'll definitely have to take in more ppl into your lifegroups... :P

Heh... Praise the Lord! ;)

The Dealings of God

One of the ways that God speaks to me is through signs... as in signs by the roadside kind of signs.. sometimes, you just find your attention drawn to one of them and inside of you, you know that God is speaking to you... and so today, the bus happened to pass by a Caltex petrol kiosk and one of the signs there caught my attention as to what God is doing.. there was an advertisement about some petrol and it says "Cleans your engine so you can go further" or something like that... And in this season, that's what the Lord is doing... He's cleaning us, He's cleaning our engines so He can move us and bring us further, bring us into our promised land and the fulfillment of the promises He has spoken over us. In this light, i just wanna say that those who are gonna move further are those who are willing to submit to His work of cleansing. Yes, it might be painful but it is necesary... Rick Joyner wrote that the things that you get get away with in the Outer Court can get you killed in the Holy Place...

So anyway, what is God doing now?? He is stirring the waters (see John 5)... in the pool of Bethesda, there was a belief that when the angel stirs the waters, the first one to jump in gets healed. And so now, God is dealing with us.. He is stirring the waters and when you stir the waters, what happens is that all the dirt and all the silt comes up and becomes unsettled from the bottom of the pool... it's time to confess and allow God to deal with our sins and hide them no longer... only then can there be healing and restoration. He's bringing us to a place of brokenness, a place of dependence on Him so that our trust will not be in man and what man can do but on Him and what He can do.

One more thing i wanna share... we always talk about the eagle in Isaiah 40.. about they who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, etc... But do we really know what renewing strength means?? It's actually a very painful process... there would be a time when the eagle would retreat into a cave and begin to shed his old feathers for new ones... it's very painful and it takes quite some time.. but when the eagle comes out, it's like he's young again... his strength is renewed and his youth is restored... The key idea that we wanna gain from here is about submitting to the Lord's dealings with us... His purging and pruning.. so that when we come out of it, we can be fruitful vessels for His use...

Here's a passage that the Lord gave me just now.. it's primarily for myself but you can go ahead and claim it if it speaks to you too.. :)

Hebrews 12:4-11 (emphasis mine)

4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:

“My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”

7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8 If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

God bless! :)

Pray for Rain

Ok... another post starting with "P"... just now as i was praying, the Lord impressed upon me to pray for a greater release of the Holy Spirit upon the ministry... which i did.. and i prayed the passage from Joel/Acts chapter 2 about the outpouring of His Spirit. I prayed for a greater release of signs and wonders in our midst, greater manifestations of the Spirit of God and even for Sojourners to have more dreams and visions and revelation from the Lord.. if you are reading this, i'd like you to pray with me...

Why? Cos according to Zechariah 10:1 the Bible says ask the Lord for rain in the time of the latter rain.. so now is the time when God is pouring out His Spirit so we're supposed to ask for it.. and He wouldn't impress upon me to pray for it unless He wants to give it... God is really moving in our midst so let's position ourselves to receive His Spirit. Pray, pray, pray, everyone! Pray and move! Lazy ppl won't receive anything! It's time to align ourselves with Him. It's Spiritual Revolution! NOW!

When You Believe

Many nights we've prayed
With no proof anyone could hear
In our hearts a hopeful song
We barely understood
Now we are not afraid
Although we know there's much to fear
We were moving mountains long
Before we knew we could

There can be miracles, when you believe
Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill
Who knows what miracles you can achieve
When you believe, somehow you will
You will when you believe

In this time of fear
When prayers so often prove in vain
Hope seems like the summer birds
So swiftly flown away
Yet now I'm standing here
My heart's so full I can't explain
Seeking faith and speaking words
I never thought I'd say

They don't always happen when you ask
And it's easy to give in to your fears
But when you're blinded by your pain
Can't see your way straight throught the rain
Small but still, resilient voice
Says love is very near

The Purging

Went for Gatekeepers after school on Friday and i believed the Lord really ministered to the people who came (11 of us were there).. and the Lord is really moving in our midst.. i mean like prayer meetings would usually be the ones that are least attended but the growing attendance shows that God is really doing a work amongst us. I was so encouraged by Gideon who couldn't make it but he seemed genuinely willing lah when i messaged him... The Lord impressed upon me the verse

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden." Matthew 5:14

And later the Lord also showed me a fertile land near a volcano. I've always seen the coming revival as a volcano but what comes as a result of that would be fruitfulness. As in when the volcano erupts, at first all that lava destroys things and changes the entire landscape but after that, the land will prove to be very fertile. So what's happening now is a purging.. the Spirit of Holiness is vising us and He's doing a purging work amongst us.. and what happens is that the whole landscape changes and things are never the same again. It may prove to be painful for some but what comes out of it would be a fruitful land.

On saturday, went to school for TS prac rehearsals and then after that, wanted to eat lunch at Spinelli so i tool the shuttle to University Hall. While in the shuttle, i heard a still small voice within me who pointed me to Subway instead.. but my mind was so bent on going to Spinelli instead that i ignored the prompting.. and so, when i got to University Hall, guess wad- Spinelli was closed. And so i had to make my way back to YIH again to get to Subway... It really does pay to listen to the Holy Spirit. I could have saved the walking distance and eaten lunch sooner. My point here is that sometimes, if the Holy Spirit speaks something, we have to lay aside our own mindset and our own agenda in order to accomodate His and receive the blessing that the Lord wants to give. The other thing i wanna say is that the Lord is interested even in little "trivial" details of our lives, even in the issue of where we eat our lunch. He's so cooool! That's why Christianity is not about a set of rules but it's a relationship with Him. Would you walk with Him today? :)

And so after lunch, went to meet Alvin and we headed down to church for meeting. During youth service, i was supposed to make an announcement but when i walked right in the middle of the worship session, i just sensed the presence of the Holy Spirit in our midst and i knew that God is doing a work among us. And i had an impression that God was saying "I'm going to start with the broken people." Meaning that whatever hard and pressing situation that comes along in our lives that God allows is to prepare us for His coming move. It's to bring us to a state of brokenness and contrition before Him so we are better aligned and more dependent on Him so He can use us. If you're experiencing these things in your lives, just receive this promise for yourselves.

Anyways, after youth service, we headed down to eat at J8 and then everyone went to the arcade. So anyways, i saw a new console with the game "Tekken 5" and i was sooooo impressed with the graphics and it took me back to the days when i had my Gamecube and played computer games considerably and at that moment i knew the hold that the game had on the gamer and why ppl are sooo addicted to them and why they choose to allow games to occupy a good part of their lives instead of doing other more meaningful things. Then the Holy Spirit spoke to me "Do not love the world for loving the world is enmity against God." He was speaking to me from James 4:4 and from 1 John... Love for the world can get you hooked... and once you wake up to reality, you'll find that you've wasted your time, your life and become lost not knowing the God out there who cares...

Sunday was a nice day... had to run in and out of new team cos had to make an announcement for service.. Took 2nd liners cell during 2nd service timeslot and the Holy Spirit was there... and there was a sense of God's holiness inside the room and i believe the Lord spoke to each one of us...after that had servers meeting and we stayed back for quite a while... den we went to JK's house for makan and to watch movie...

Just felt many of us holding onto baggages that we're not supposed to carry... Jesus said "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)

God bless you! :)

The Prophet

There's something about the ministry of a prophet... When you get to be in the presence of one and get to hear him speak, it imparts the fear of the Lord in you... I'm so privileged having sat under one...

Anyway, here's a song "Praise You in This Storm" by Casting Crowns.. i only heard it a few times but it has been in my spirit lately. I believe some of you need to hear this.... God bless! :D

I was sure by now
That You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say “Amen”, and it’s still raining

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
“I’m with you”
And as You mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I’ll praise You in this storm
And I will life my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I’ve cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind

You heard my cry
You raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can’t find You

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
“I’m with you”
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth

Purpose

Went to church early today and i just found some time to play on the keyboard. While i was playing, the Holy Spirit hit me and I was just worshipping Him like a leaking tap... it's just wonderful being in His presence... and i just sensed in the atmosphere that the Lord really wants to do something in our midst.. like it's here, everyone.. anytime now, I'm expecting to see something... With this in mind, I'm really expecting God to show up during Gatekeepers on Friday.. i wonder what He'll do/say regarding where we're moving...

Before prayer meeting, i sensed a whirlwind of fire and i feel that it's cos the Lord wants to do a work of purging in our midst. The word "holiness" also came to me during the worship.. it's cos He wants to move and He wants holy vessels whom He can use for His glory... Pastor Ban shared on the removal of the leaven which is what the Lord wants to do this hour.. this is also one of our objectives for the 40 days fast that we're gonna do in May-June.. stay expectant, everyone!

Today during prayer meeting, Raja also shared on the new wineskin which is again a bearing of witness of what God wants to do in our midst... Can you hear the footsteps of God?? :)

The Parable of the Pecking Pidgeons

As i was walking home from school today (the bus stop, not NUS!), i noticed a noisy flock of pidgeons outside my block... What they were doing caught my attention. Apparently the huge flock was all trying to grab some crumbs (or was it grain?) that was thrown onto the pavement. And they were quite noisy at it too. They seemed to be trying to push and shove each other trying to get those tiny little grains... The interesting thing about what they were doing was that in the course of their melee and their obsession with the grains, they failed to notice that there were some huge chunks of bread lying few feet from their arena. In fact, some wise pidgeon could have just withdrawn from the melee, grabbed a piece of bread and enjoyed it elsewhere without having to contend with the other pidgeons for those tiny little grains. Quite dumb don't ya think?

The thing is, many a times, that's what we do in the church. We squabble, make a lot of noise, contend with each other.. over what? Over petty little issues. Another interpretation could be the fact that many times, we are so consumed with small insignificant things that it fails to bring us to the big picture. We're so concerned chasing after little grains that don't satisfy while we can have the Bread of Life! Many times, we become so obsessed with all our little problems and we lose our peace over them and fail to see God's mighty hand in dealing with it as well as His grace, just waiting for us to take hold of it and appropriate it in our lives... If only we stopped what we're doing, stepped back from engaging with what we think is important, we'll see that right there, not far from us is a huge chunk of bread waiting for the wise among us to apprehend it and run with it...

The abundant life is the norm. Abundance of bread is the norm. If we think that God is contented to give us less than what we need, then we need a change in mindset, a change in perspective. And sometimes, it's just as simple as taking a step back and seeing that His provision is not so far from us after all...

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. -Eph 3:20-21

God bless you all! :D

It is Well With My Soul

Hmmm... to those of you who happen to be passing by and are aware of the recent changes and are looking for answers, guess wad- i don't have any....

What i can offer you is that deep inside me, there's a peace within my soul that none can take away.. i've thought hard about it and i've wondered why i'm not reacting to it.. i don't think i'm desensitised cos these things involve those that are close to me. It's not as if it hasnt sunk in yet cos i'm usually very affected almost immediately by the things i hear. But no matter how hard i search myself if i feel affected, the more that i'm convinced that there's the peace of God within me that none can take away. That peace was there from the very first announcement and it stayed one after another and it's gonna stay.

What's important is that we recognise the hand of God upon the situation. We have to take our eyes off man and onto God and see His will unfold. I'm convinced now more than ever that revival is coming! The shaking has begun but guess wad- God is faithful. That's the theme of the church for this year cos the Lord wants us to know that He will see us through the shakings. On 7 March during prayer meeting, Romans 8:28 came to me and i din know then what it was for.. until now. It's all the more important that we trust in God and where He's leading us.

And we know that God causes all things to work for the good of those who love Him, who called according to His purpose.

During the service on sunday morning, i saw a whirlwind in Salem Chapel- again! That was the third time already. The whirlwind of God is bringing about changes, lots of changes... but one thing's for sure, our church is never gonna be the same again! Once God is done with us, we're gonna see a greater outpouring of glory, more than ever before, even more than the revival in the 80s.. it's gonna be accompanied by healing.. watch and pray! Anyways, yesterday, the Lord impressed upon me this passage for this particular season:

Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” -Nehemiah 8:10

This is a season for rejoicing cos God is moving! i know many of us are affected but let's all look to the Lord and what He's doing!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace

God bless you all! :)

Connection 33:3

I am up at this unearthly hour cos i'm just brimming with hope and expectation at what the Lord is doing in our midst.. Connection 33:3 was a fruitful event lah and apart from the 3 who received Christ, the 3 who re-dedicated their lives to Him and the 2 who indicated they want to know more, i believe that others have been touched greatly as well. One of the passages that i was impressed with today was Isaiah 61.. i believed God for it to be accomplished today.. it was the same passage i prayed for Alvin and even during the time of intercession, i flipped the bible and the bookmark was exactly at that page.. it was really a confirmation from the Lord of what He wants to do.. not only for this connection 33:3 but i believe also for the coming ones...

One other thing the Lord impressed to me today is that we reap what we sow.. in that when we sow a watermelon, we reap a watermelon.. similarly, when we sow souls, we reap souls, when we sow people, we reap people... God is looking for people who are willing to sow themselves on His behalf that through them, He can deliver the harvest! Are you willing to be the one?? ...

I believe that one of the important effects of this event is not just in reaching out to ppl but also in challenging ourselves to believe God for more... It's the vision part.. when we see what God is doing in our midst, we get excited and we are challenged even more to be counted for Him as His vessels that He will use! :) Praise the Lord!!! :D

Can't seem to sleep... perhaps it's due to thoughts, perhaps it's due to the teh tarik.. but certain things i wanna blog so i won't forget about it.. i'm gonna propose to alvin tomorrow a new strategy for prophetic evangelism and intercession. And i also hope to look at some structural changes to better prepare for the harvest that the Lord is bringing.. and it seems that the Lord has a way for caring for His sheep despite them not being able to go to church cos of parental objections.. i believe it has something to do with the campus ministry that the Lord wants to give us.. It's time for follow-up.. it's time that we put the Lord's strategies into practice so that we can reap fruit even more effectively! :D God is moving yeah?? :D

i sincerely believe that the Lord is gonna add to our number after this Connection 33:3.. let's all keep those who responded in prayer, yeah.. asking God to establish them on His holy mountain... And let's all be open to people joining our midst.. and stop being so cliqueish and learn to venture out of our own comfort zones.. Connection 33:3 is over and well done, everyone.. but there's more work to be done.. if not even a greater amount of work.. we're not just talking about evangelism.. we're talking about positioning ourselves that His destiny for the ministry will be accomplished!!! Praise the Lord!!! :D

Thanks everyone for all the effort and for playing your part in your service to the Lord! :D

Just to vent a while... I'm quite disappointed with you.. and i don't even know whether i have the right to be cos, yes, i have neglected you.. forgive me for that.. i wanna groom you cos you got potential but i gotta see that you're faithful in small things first.. when you're faithful in little things, you'll be faithful in much.. God is really moving this year, yeah.. i just hope that you won't get left behind...

New Stuff

Hallelujah! My God has done it again.. He never fails to give me reasons to boast about Him!!! Today went for PW and someone actually blessed me with a new bag and three new t-shirts!!! No strings attached... Like wow.. can you believe it??? I mean like i was just thinking of getting a new bag a few days ago.. and thinking of getting a sling bag at that so that i can separate my church stuff from my school stuff... yeah cos now i walk to church and a lighter load would help me.. but the thing that impresses me about this whole scenario is more than the functionality of it and God's more-than-immediate response to my thoughts.. i'm talking about the prophetic significance of this..

i mean like i said before how we are supposed to be signs and wonders, pointing to Him.. and how the Lord is emphasising change for this season.. like how the winds of change are blowing.. and how i moved house recently, and got a new phone, wallet and shoes.. but also now, a new bag and a few new t-shirts.. this really is divine confirmation about the message that the Lord wants to bring accross!! Get ready for the new wineskin, ladies and gentlemen...

i also just noticed as i am writing this post that the new items i've listed above are things that concern my everyday life.. and i believe that part of the prophetic message that the Lord is sending out this season is that the change will affect our everyday lives.. the changes that He's bringing about will change the way we live our lives, the way we see/do things everyday.. not only will we live differently but the Lord is highlighting His grace, blessing and supernatural provision as divine normalcy.. that means it's gonna be an everyday occurence that we see Him move in our everyday lives... aren't you excited?? :D I've said many times before that the abundant life is the normal life and that our model of a normal Christian life should be the book of Acts.. we may not be there yet... but we're heading there.. and i'm gonna be a living proof, a living sign of it...

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!!! :D

Buenaventura

You know what that means?? it means good adventure in Spanish.. and that's my middle name... literally.. and it really describes my walk with God.. some of you all may think that walking with God is a very boring thing and that Christianity is full of rules that make your life sad.. if you think so, you're wrong. I'm having a great time... the bible says let him who boasts boast in the Lord and God says that let him who glories glory in that he understands and knows Him... so lemme do my fair share of boasting...

First of all, i got back my Soci mid-term this afternoon... and i wasnt expecting to do so well cos i only studied one lecture and it wasnt even the topic that i did my essay on.. i felt so totally unprepared to take my test that day.. i didnt even feel like taking it lah... and after i finished writing my essay test, i didn't even get that "oomph" that one usually gets after writing a good essay, an essay that he's proud of... well guess wad... i got an A.. by God's grace! Atheists, eat your heart out! There's a God and His Name is Jesus! (ok kids, this isn't an excuse not to study, btw...)

God's been challenging me to live an abundant life as a normal life and not to be content with anything below that. I'm supposed to be His message to both believer and unbeliever alike. This is my testimony of who He is. He is a God of abundance. I have no earthly father but He's been more than a Father to me. He's given me beyond what i need and more, more, more... i've never been in lack.. i'm now in a foreign land studying in a foreign school and guess wad- i don't even have to pay for my education... (someone say "wow" now). WOW! I've got everything i need and more! :D

Ok.. more stories from Christian's "normal" life... I went for dinner with some ppl, my fren and two of her colleagues.. so apparently the two started talking about fortune telling and relating what some fortune tellers said over them.. i thought that well since they were on the same topic, i'd think about how i could bring in the prophetic into the conversation.. recentlly, i've been reading a book on prophetic evangelism and i figured no point reading it unless i tried it lah.. so i asked God to help me see into their lives.. and then the Lord was showing me certain things in someone's life.. but den due to circumstances i didn't get a chance to share it or ask him about it (it's good also cos i later found out that it was kinda sensitive..) well anyway, later i asked my fren about it and told her what the Lord impressed upon me and she kinda confirmed it based on their past conversations... That's what's it all about.. when the secrets of our heart are laid bare before Him so that He can show the world that He cares! Praise the Lord! :D

Ok and so i went home... while i was walking home, i passed by church and i passed this house that was mostly dark and i heard something like a groaning/churning sound when i walked past it.. so i stopped and backtracked a bit... i think that house is unclean lah.. if u get wad i mean.. ok wun scare you just in case you happen to go tracting in that area... haha.. but there's nothing to fear anyway cos if my God is for me, then who can be against me?? :D

While praying for Connection 33:3 during my time with the Lord just now, as i picked up the namelist that serene gave me, i started to shed tears for them, to cry out to the Lord for them from deep within me... then the Lord asked me

"How much are you willing to believe me for?"...

New Shoes

Hi everyone... i said i was gonna blog about how i got the shoes cos the Lord was revealing certain lessons that we can learn from it at this hour.. so here goes...

Ok... it was really by God's grace cos last tuesday, i finished school at 530 (tuesdays were my long days) and i still had 3 assignments to clear by friday.. logically speaking, i shouldn't be strolling around vivo looking for new shoes.. however, my old shoes were like getting worn down and i really wanted to change shoes.. i had an impression that i should go vivo after school.. besides that impression, i also had a desire within me to do so.. sometimes, our God-given desires just have to outweigh logic lah.. so i went to the adidas shop at vivo.. i went there expecting to see a replenished stock of those grey shoes that i was looking for and that i saw there a few months ago.. guess wad- they weren't there. i didn't really like the new stock as much and my mind was still transfixed on the grey one so i thought that i'd not buy my shoes on that day.. while walking around however, i decided to give this other shoe shop a try cos i'd been there with joel last december when he got a new pair.. before entering the shop, i prayed that God would lead me to the right one (you know how fickle-minded i can get..) and so at first i walked around and nothing really caught my attention except this one on the top shelf.. den i decided to get a closer look at it and when i held it in my hands i felt a voice in my spirit speaking to me that that was the one.. still, i wasn't very sure so i put it back... den the saleslady came and asked me to try it on, which i did, and the rest is history.. :P

What's so prophetic about this you ask?? let me explain to you in several points...

timing- It's time to change shoes just as i believe that it's time to change into the new wineskin. The hour is now! Our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed! This year, the Lord is changing a lot of things. His winds of change are blowing and we're seeing a lot of changes in the ministry and all. Why? Cos it's time to change. When it's time to change, then we better change. Out with the old, in with the new! Hallelujah! :)

desire- Our desire to change must match the Lord's desire to bring the changes. It's when we align ourselves to His will and allow Him to prepare us by His Spirit for the things that are to come! God speaks in many ways and one way He speaks is through desire. He puts in us His own godly desires to align us to His purposes. When our desire matches His, then we see the changes. Just as i had the desire to change my shoes and acted on it. Sometimes, in our hearts, we just have a godly frustration with the old things and a godly desire to see new things happen in our midst. Where does this desire come from? It comes from the Lord who's preparing us and aligning us for the changes that are to come this season! So what do we do about these desires? Act on them. Yes, everyone, go for it! :) praise the Lord!

mindset- one of the greatest hindrances to us being blessed by the Lord is our mindset. If i kept on focusing on the adidas shop and the grey shoes and if my eyes were looking to that, i would have missed out God's blessing in providing me another! I could have wasted time going around queensway shopping centre trying to find that model and similarly, we could also waste time holding on to our mindsets that we miss the kairos moment, the window of oppotunity that God is bringing to bless us. If we're not watchful and we're not looking to the right direction, we could just miss out on the blessings. The carnal mindset is like how Ishmael was formed when Sarah tried to use human wisdom and strength in order to bring about what God has promised instead of trusting in Him. It starts of Godly but ends in carnality. Like when we embrace God's timing for change as well as align ourselves with His desire for change but then we get caught up in our own mindsets and we finish what God has started by our own strength, carnal wisdom and worldly methods and ways. And it results in something that God hasn't planned. We should thus let go of our old mindsets in preparing ourselves to receive His blessing for this season. Only then can we fully embrace what He seeks to do in the manner that He seeks to do it. Hallelujah! :D

laying aside- The Lord is thus calling us to lay aside the things that hinder us- not only the old mindset but also our time, dignity, resources- everything that He has to work with to see His plans succeed! For example, despite the fact that i had a long day and that i had 3 more assignments to cover, i laid that down though most people will probably think i'm stupid.. I laid that down just to follow a small impression to go and get new shoes at a shopping centre! What's foolishness to the world is wisdom to God! God is calling us to lay aside our own plans and our own agenda to make way for His! Glory! :D

trust- This calls for trusting in God. Are we willing to trust that still small voice telling us to do stupid things like go shopping during a busy week? Are we willing to trust that voice that says "jump' urging us to take a leap of faith off a cliff even if we can't see the bottom?? God is sovereign! He's in control and the only way we're gonna see His plans carried out this season is by trusting in Him. Are we willing to hold onto His promise despite us not seeing it come to pass at first? I could have given up my search of new shoes when i didn't find what i was looking for at the adidas shop. But somehow, i still went on to check out that other place.. Similarly, even if we don't see anything happening at first, are we willing to trust God that He will still bring it to pass? Even if it's just a small impression? We must have faith in Him and in His unfailing Word and promises! :) If God brings us to it, He will bring us through it! Just wanna leave you with this thought- how can you trust someone you do not know? Similarly, it is essential that we know Him, that we walk with Him and abide in Him in this hour so He can bring us to the promised land, the place where His promises are fulfilled and we see them taking place in the natural cos His promises are "yes and Amen" in Christ Jesus! :) It is only when we trust in God and when we walk with Him that we'll be able to recognise the blessing when it comes just as i was able to recognise in my spirit that shoe when i held it in my hands. :)Hallelujah!

We have to fully embrace the changes that the Lord is bringing about this hour. Sometimes, we fail to enjoy the blessing cos even when we already have the blessing, we look back to the past. Like even after i bought the shoe, i was still thinking about the grey one that i could have gotten and i was doubting whether the one that i was carrying was the "right one". Well guess wad- it's time to lay aside all the doubts cos if i had held onto them, i'd have not enjoyed the new shoes that were already in my possesion. We have to enjoy God's blessings cos just as how a father would feel sad if his daughter doesn't enjoy the pony that he got for her, our Heavenly Father also wants us to enjoy Him and glorify Him by enjoying His blessings!

On a side note, it seems that the Lord is changing a lot of my stuff this season... phone, wallet, shoes and all.. i just shifted house at the end of last yr also.. My point here is that we are meant to be signs and wonders- our lives, not just our words.. and i sincerely believe that my life speaks of the changes that the Lord is bringing about. What i did when i got my new wallet was to throw away the junk from it even as i transferred some of the items over to the new one. Everyone, get ready to throw away all that junk! Revival is at our doorstep! Praise the Lord! :D

Winds of Change

Hello everyone! I'm back from my break... i can't believe i didn't post that long... was quite busy the whole of last week lah but i wasn't stressed.. really got through the whole week by God's grace.. And I'm gonna recall it all so that all will know that my God is real and that I've not missed one week of His reality in my life! There's a bible verse that says something like "forget not all His benefits".. so here's a recap of what's been happening...

Friday March 23
Went for Gatekeepers in the evening and we had a record of 17 ppl show up during the meeting! Usually prayer meetings are the ones least attended but this time we saw quite a number lah.. that means that God is on the move! As i mentioned at the last GK post, the angel has tipped over the prayer bowl... that means revival is coming... One of the things that the Lord reminded me during the time of prayer is that before He enlarges our tents, He has to enlarge our hearts first.. think about it.. revival starts with us! :)

Saturday March 24
Had worship prac and youth service in the afternoon... Uncle Paul shared on how to present John 3:16.. After the worship, i closed my eyes and i saw a whirlwind, kinda like what my phone screensaver shows... and it talks about the winds of change that are coming, the wind of the Holy Spirit moving in our midst! Hmmm.. can you imagine that.. i actually chose my handphone theme and wallpaper cos i thought they were nice.. little did i know that God would speak through them to confirm His message for this hour.. but that's not the point. The point here is to hear and understand that message... And may God give us eyes that see and ears that hear to be able to know the messages He conveys to us in everyday life! :)

Sunday March 25
had new team in the morning and den followed by servers cell during the 2nd service timeslot... i enjoyed Uncle Paul's message on Ecclesiastes cos it ties in with what the Lord has been speaking to me in my personal life as well... Anyway, we spent some time praying for each other and Uncle Paul prayed that i would be humble and be submissive... and **a*** released a word over me that she saw me like a flower blooming open.. and this flower thing is something that i've been talking about since the beginning of this year! When she started praying i felt the anointing coming upon me so strongly lah.. if you're reading this, thx for praying! :)

Had servers meeting after cell and we discussed the issue of calling for a corporate fast.. it's settled then.. according to where the Lord is leading us, we will go forward.. so everyone reading this, it's offical already-

We're gonna have a season of 40 days prayer and fasting in the monts of May and June leading up to the worship camp.. this is for everyone in the ministry, not just the leaders! It's to prepare us for what God's gonna do and God's really gonna do something!!! I'm excited! Are you?? :)

So anyway, after the meeting, we had our skit prac and we dismissed early cos by then the guys were already like 85% ready liao.. they're super zai and they pick up their roles quite well...hahaha God's grace is really upon us lah! Praise the Lord! :)

Monday March 26
I rested most of my free day away lah.. but i got one assignment done in the evening.. i realised that my concession pass was about to expire so i decided to head down to the MRT station to renew it in the evening.. to cut a long story short, there was a weirdo who was kinda following me.. how did i know he's a weirdo? Cos when i first glanced at him, that's what came to my spirit.. (i'm writing this so those reading may know how some spiritual gifts operate... the gift of discerning of spirits) so anyway, i pretended to not notice him around, den i went to station control and they let me through the barrier and out the back door.. haha... well thank God for protecting me and for allowing my spiritual senses to function! :)

Tuesday March 27
Had my usual long day and got a pair of new shoes after that... i'm gonna blog a separate post about it cos believe it or not, during the revival meeting on sat, the Lord was telling me the prophetic significance of how i got my shoes.. haha.. stay tuned! :) Got another assignment done in the evening... :)

Wednesday March 28
On my way to school in the morning, while i was on the bus, i just had this sensation of love towards the country of Indonesia.. and so guess wad happened next... the Spirit of intercession hit me- right there and then on the bus! It was hard to hide my teary face lah but that's that... i enjoyed myself in the presence of God anyway... Didn't go for prayer meeting cos i had 2 more assignments to clear and by the grace of God, i cleared one that night! :)

Thursday March 29
Had school as usual... Had Spinelli's in the morning at university hall.. it was officially the first time i had it during the sem cos last sem i went there at least once every week.. Had one more assignment to clear so wanted to get home early... i was contemplating when i should go for a haircut cos i needed one badly and my schedule for the next few days was quite busy.. den the Holy Spirit gave me some wisdom and it occured to me that i could just have my haircut that very afternoon! [which i did, praise the Lord! :) ] haha.. anyway, while having a haircut, the Holy Spirit impressed upon me to go to Seiyu and get a new wallet.. cos i've been wanting to change my wallet for quite some time now and didn't really have the opportunity.. but this time, it was the wisdom of God.. so i went there and found one that i liked.. :) And so guess wad.. you think after all that activity, Christian didn't get to do his assignment in the end?? If you thought so, you're wrong! Cos the steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord! and in the time of great stress and chaos, those who abide in Him still know how to enjoy! :) I cleared my last assignment that evening! So i didn't have to rush around on friday at all and i had time to attend...

Friday March 30
LIFE CONCERT!!! I went to school as usual and liz drove jonas, evan and i down to SAV after school! It was nice to see the rest of my batchmates and even my juniors and catch up with them. The concert went well and it seemed to be getting more and more intense each year.. there were even a significant number of people from other schools who attended lah.. :) Well anyways, God spoke to me through the concert too.. and even the speaker's message was in line with what God has been speaking to me the entire year.. he shared on John 10:10 as did one of the pastors during the Prayer Convocation... Went home that evening with Chao Yuan.

Though the entire week was very packed for me, i still managed to go through it by God's grace.. so here's a big thank You to my Daddy who saw me through everything... You've given me wisdom to handle my assignments and to write well. You've given me good time management and i even had time to go shopping! You've given me strength that lasted me even during the late nights of typing! You've given me joy and peace through it all and i wasn't overcome with stress! Thank You Daddy! Thank You Jesus for staying with me! Thank You Holy Spirit for guiding me along! Thank You, thank You, thank You! :) I pray that Sojourners would learn from my life and will experience the fulness of life in You, even in busy times, especially in busy times. In Jesus Name, Amen! :)

Saturday March 31
Met Lele early in the morning.. suppose to have LG outing lah but only Lele could make it.. so anyway, we went down to SKS and the Lord impressed upon me certain things about Lele also lah... it was a fruitful time.. didn't get to buy what Lele wanted but i finally got the book that i was looking for: Prophetic Evangelism by Mark Stibbe... i wanted to read it cos i believe that the face of evangelism is gonna change.. it's gonna be accompanied with a demonstration of God's love and power! Hallelujah! :)

After that we got to watch TMNT movie at cine and then we went a while to Borders to look at comics (my idea, not his...:P) den had some turkish ice cream...haha.. we had a lot of time so when i got to church, joined the worship team a while and got to teach Lele and Gid some flags... they pick it up quite fast! :)

Joined Auntie Ivy's team for worship that night and guess wad.. there was something nice and different about the anointing.. if you ask me, here's one of the reasons why it was so powerful- cos there were both adults and youths serving on the team. Auntie Ivy was actively engaging the youths and as a results of that unity among the generations, there was the anointing! The Lord told me last year that before revival comes, as before the coming of Jesus, the spirit of Elijah is gonna come to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers.. so here we see it being manifested in a way... :)

During the worship, God showed me a whirlwind (again!) which is symbollic of the changes that are gonna happened.. and i was reminded how a whirlwind operates.. when hot air below connects and forms a channel with hot air above- and the place was definitely hot with the praise and worship forming a channel to heaven! With our intercession ascending, how can God not move? :) And guess wad pastor Aow shared on during that night? Prayer. That's what we've been sharing in new team, and what pastor james shared the last revival meeting, and what rev fred abeysekara also shared... everyone, see and weigh this for yourselves and know that God is speaking! Oh and during the worship, i also saw a winding path ahead of me and the Lord said "I have prepared the way for you already." I have no idea what that means or how that applies in my immediate context but it's real and i'll just have to wait and see how God unfolds it.. maybe if u have an interpretation, dun hesitate to email me or smth...

So let's all fast and pray ladies and gentlemen! Remember that in may we're having a 40-day prayer focus when the whole ministry is gonna fast and pray and it's gonna lead right to the worship camp! :) Hallelujah!

Sunday April 1
So many changes happened in 1 single day!
wow... i stand in awe of God...

After combined service, had skit prac again but this time round with music.. Muchos gracias to Dot who's helping out with the sound cues.. everything's really flowing well together! Praise the Lord! :D

After skit prac, Dot took the keys and started worshipping on it and the Spirit of worship was quite strong in the new place that what was intended to be a jamming session turned out to be a worship session.. there was something different about the place.. alvin joined the worship singing while doing his assignment in the sanctuary... then i was playing the drums.. i usually play the drums for fun and i'm not really proficient at it either but this time round, i found myself worshipping on the drums and the Holy Spirit really taking over! As in He would tell me what to do and when and He would just guide me along, leading me to play the cymbals at the appropriate time, build up at the appropriate time, etc... and i loved it cos it was the Holy Spirit and it was really different and it was worship and it was something i've never done b4 and He just allowed me to flow together with Dot while she was on keys.. of course there were the times when i went off but other than that, i really wanna say that the Holy Spirit is real and Him guiding you through your instrument is real! :) praise the Lord! When Dot was about to go home, i took over the keys and Al took the drums and i never played keys on the Technics keyboard like how i did on that day.. as in my fingers were like flying lah... and it was really different... thank You Holy Spirit for revealing yourself! :)

Monday April 2
Rested most of the day and watched TV... went out for a meeting in the evening... was pondering a sign that God gave me last year about what would take place before the coming move of God.. the sign is unfolding.. watch...

Today i was also reflecting on why the Lord gave me the verse Romans 8:28 during one of the Wednesday Prayer meetings...

And the Lord was also speaking to me through situations and highlighting the importance of peace and unity among the brethren... May the fear of the Lord guard my mouth...

Tuesday April 3
I think i saw Jonathan Leong in school today.. i'm not blogging this cos i'm a fan or something but cos it seems that that's the normal thing people talk about in their blogs lah.. Can you see how it pales in comparison to the depths of God being revealed??

Anyway, had sch today but ended early cos Dr Wee is in US.. was thinking of something on the bus today.. the idea of stewardship... the bible tells of how the secrets belong to God but the things revealed He has given to us, the sons of men.. what we're supposed to do with the things revealed? steward the revelation of course! Like when we receive a revelation of God's love and grace, we're suppose to manifest it to others. When we receive a revelation of God's forgiveness, we're called to reflect it to others too! that's why the unmerciful servant was judged- cos of poor stewardship of the virtue that he partook of.. And do you know this applies to the other virtues of God.. like when the Lord imparts to us His healing virtue and grace, one way of stewarding it is to exercise your faith and pray for others to be healed... and he who has will be given more and he who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him... now how would you apply this in your daily lives?? :)

Godblessya!!! muchos! :D