Christmas Greetings

What a joy,
To know that,
Whatever is true,

Whatever is noble,

Whatever is right,

Whatever is pure,

Whatever is lovely,

Whatever is admirable,

All these are ours and more,

When Christ rules and reigns

In our hearts!

A Blessed Christmas to you,

From our home to yours.

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Aligning Ourselves to the Prophetic Word

Oftentimes, when we have received an encouraging personal prophecy or perhaps God has spoken to us personally in our quiet time with Him, we are filled with joy and excitement. The Lord Jesus said that His words are spirit and life. Hence, when we receive a prophetic “rhema” word from the Lord through the Holy Spirit whether through a messenger or directly, life is imparted to our spirits. However, after the initial excitement has subsided, we are left clueless as to what we should do with the "rhema" prophetic words we received.

I was once taught that for each prophecy that you receive, keep it in the shelf and wait for the fulfillment of the word. If the word does not come to pass, it is more likely than not that the word given was not inspired by God. Such an erroneous teaching would appear to be the safest and most conservative approach to be taken by Christians as we tend to shift all responsibility to God, i.e. do nothing about the word and if indeed God has spoken, He will fulfill His word. However, this teaching does not sit comfortably with the accounts of men and women who have accomplished great exploits for God whether mentioned in the Bible or in the biographies written of such giants of faith.

When we first receive a prophetic word, it is likened to a divine seed that is sown into our hearts. We have a part to play to nurture the seed and to see the seed growing to its full potential. Of course, when we say that we have a part to play, immediately we think of the misadventure of Sarah who compelled Abraham to have a child through her maidservant, Hagar in hopes of fulfilling the prophecy given by God to Abraham. The two extremes we are to avoid are (1) helping God to fulfill His Word by our own fleshly efforts; and (2) having a passive attitude where we do not do anything and just be contented to sing “que sera sera”. In this post, we will briefly examine a few principles that we can do to align ourselves with prophetic words given by God to us. There is a need to align our lives to His Word before we can see the fulfillment of His Word in our lives.

The Right Heart
Firstly, as in the parable of the sower, the right soil is of utmost importance to determine the life of the seed. The condition of our hearts is the key to seeing God’s word fulfilled in our lives. When we talk about the condition of our hearts, it is both the “internal” and the “external” conditions. We will first discuss the internal conditions of the heart i.e. this speaks about what we have kept in our heart, i.e. the attitudes of our hearts. Many at times, when God released a word to His people, His foremost desire is that the Word would accomplish a change in the lives of the hearer first before the Word brings a change to the outward circumstances. How do we ensure that the “internal” conditions of our hearts are properly aligned? Praise the Lord, for we have the Holy Spirit to help us. We have to actively ask the Holy Spirit to examine our hearts and to respond to Him accordingly. He will bring us through the process of cleansing and conditioning until our hearts are after the heart of God. Healings from past hurts, bitterness, anger, etc. are but a few of the things the Holy Spirit will do as we open our hearts to Him. The Lord will be also purifying our motives and our vision.

Focus vs Distraction
The second aspect is related to the first point above, i.e. the “external ” factors of the soil. After we have received a prophetic word and if the word has not come to pass after months or even years, we begin to question the “validity” of the word received. And at this juncture, we are prone to be distracted by many external factors. Sometimes, these external factors may be good things but may turn out to be distractions. There is a need for concentrated focus on what God has spoken over our lives before we can see it coming to pass. External factors may also come in the form of temptations, cares of the world or to be lulled by the spirit of the age. It is therefore, important to ask the Holy Spirit to always keep our eyes on Jesus, running the race with patience, knowing that He who has given the Word is faithful to fulfill it.

Seeing and Declaring
Having determined that our hearts are rightly aligned with the Word by the help of the Holy Spirit, the Lord also desires that we take an active part in seeing the Word coming to pass. How do we do that? This would involve the use of our spiritual organs. Briefly, this is when we are to allow the Holy Spirit to use our sanctified imagination as a canvass to paint the glorious picture of the fulfillment of God's vision. It is an avenue for us to see the fulfillment of the Word through the eyes of the spirit. God painted the stars in the sky and the sand on the earth on Abraham's sanctified imagination and he saw with his spiritual eyes the fulfillment of God’s promise to him. Not only do we see, but we also take part in the process by speaking and declaring, calling for those things that be not as though they were. Our tongues hold the power of life and death to the vision and Word God has implanted in our spirits.

His Grace is Sufficient
Each time a rhema Word is released, there is an impartation of grace and life to the hearer of the Word. This grace and this life is the strength imparted to birth the Word into existence in the natural realm. The measure of grace imparted is sufficient but usually we are unable to maintain the grace level in our lives when we go about with our daily tasks in life. Therefore, God in His mercies had opened the new and living way for us that we can always draw near to the Throne of Grace to receive fresh supply of grace anytime we need it. This speaks about the maintenance of our spiritual walk with God. There is a need for a consistent waiting upon God to have the divine exchange in the secret place for our lives to be aligned with His Word. A consistent walk with God will always keep the Word strong in our lives and keep us nearer to the fulfillment of His Word. Each time we think of His Word, we can draw near to God and the Lord will renew our faith and vision.

Warfare
An unavoidable fact is that there will be opposing forces against the fulfillment of His Word in our lives. Sometimes, in the natural, everything seems to be the opposite of what God has said. What should we do then? It is a time for us to arise and fight the good fight of faith. My wife received two prophecies before our second daughter was born and one of the words was that this child will bring joy to us. Towards the end of the pregnancy term (at about the ninth month) the gynecologist told us that the fetus had stopped growing since a few weeks back as there was no increase in the measurement taken via ultrasound scanning. Furthermore, just a week before the estimated due date, we were also told that my wife was not ready to give birth at all. We were a little dejected after hearing such news from the doctor. However, this was not a time to be passive and have a pity party. My wife began to storm the heavens by praying and declaring the prophetic words given. We refused to accept the medical advice and we chose to believe His Word instead. My wife began to call forth our daughter and she began to declare that the Word is done now. In less than two days after receiving the negative reports of the doctor, my wife gave birth naturally to a healthy, normal and beautiful daughter! All glory to God! Indeed, there is a part we can play and sometimes it would mean warfare on our part.

From the above discussion, we can see that as we align ourselves with the Word, we become more like the Word of Life, Jesus Himself. The Lord desires that we are full of faith when we receive His prophetic Word and that our faith is not dead but are filled with Spirit-inspired works that we do as we align our lives to His Word. This is a season where we are going to see the fulfillment of God’s promises and prophecies in our lives. It is a time to declare, believe and appropriate His promises. Let’s not be discouraged and let’s not give up. Let us cry out to the Lord, arise in my life and let the enemies be scattered in Jesus’Name! Hallelujah! Amen. What a Mighty and Loving God we have.

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How do we prepare for hard times?

Given a choice, everybody would like to have a life that is like a bed of roses. However, it does not take us long to begin feeling the prickling pain of the thorns that accompany the roses. We are told in the Bible that, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all." Therefore it is wise for us to acknowledge from the outset that Christianity is not a form of escapism. We face trials, difficulties and challenges throughout our lives but in Christ Jesus, we emerge from such circumstances triumphant and as the Apostle Paul reminded us, "we are more than conquerors" for we know that our Lord and Saviour has overcome the world! What we would like to know is how do we appropriate such truths and promises in our lives so that our feet are firmly planted on solid ground and not on sinking sand when trials and crises hit our lives.

A very common scenario for most of us is that we are usually "pumped up" after listening to inspiring messages on Sunday mornings but when we are faced with difficult situations between the Sundays, we are somewhat lost and do not know what to do. In times of uncertainties that we live in today, many are living in fear and finding themselves under a cloud of confusion, depression and helplessness. When our physical senses are constantly bombarded with negative news and predictions, we begin to focus on the giants and mountains that seem to stand in our way. Just like the Israelites, when they heard of the giants in the land, they began to see themselves as mere grasshoppers and feared for their lives.

What do we see?
Firstly, it is important to know what do our eyes see? Not just our physical eyes but our imagination and inner eyes. Our vision determines our destiny.

• Do we see the storm around us or our eyes are fixed on Jesus?
• Do we see just giants or the rewards for slaying the giants?
• Do we see the enemy troops or the heavenly host around us?
• Do we see through the eyes of Lot or the eyes of God?
• Do we see abundance or just 5 loaves and 2 fish?

All through the Scriptures, we read of examples after examples of how men and women stepped into the supernatural and lived their lives fulfilling God's destinies when their vision was corrected and brought to alignment with God's vision for them. Jesus Himself did what He saw the Father doing in His earthly mission. As long as He did that, no one could harm Him until the fullness of time when He was subjected to the sufferings and cruelty of death on the cross. Similarly, we can live our lives in the supernatural realm notwithstanding the raging storms around us if our vision is correctly aligned to His vision.

It is time to re-examine our vision. We are living in an age where God's children are re-discovering their inheritance of spiritual sight. We can be in the Father's perfect will when we see in the spirit and do what we see the Father is doing right now. Intellectual knowledge is not sufficient to equip us for the coming days but the army bride of God has to be armed with the constant flow of divine revelations and insights. When the eyes of the flesh are switched off, the eyes of the spirit are then open to access the heavenly realities.

A different spirit
Joshua and Caleb possessed a "different spirit" when everybody around them was gripped by fear of conquering the promised land. Daniel and his three friends displayed a "different spirit" from the day they were taken in to the king's courts and all through their lives in Babylon. These lives show us that when one makes a choice to live differently in obedience to God, no gates of hell shall prevail over them. God is raising a company of people in these last days who posseses a "different spirit" to live for Him and fulfill God's destinies in their lives.

Loren Cunningham in his book, "Winning God's Way" described such a different spirit as living in the opposite spirit, i.e. to act in generosity where greed abounds, fighting evil with good, etc. In fact, if we were to examine closely the central theme of Jesus' teachings which is fondly known as the Sermon on the Mount - it contains principles and values that are contrary to social norms. Such principles and realities have a heavenly origin and are the building blocks of kingdom living on this earth.

Another expression of such a "different spirit" is as described by Rev Susan Tang - to live lives that will be the antithesis to all that is happening.

"Can we hear God calling men and women to live lives that are the antithesis to the horrible system of greed, materialism and compromise that has defiled the church and the land? To live a life that is the antithesis to all that is around us is like a fish swimming against the tide."

Now is the time to heed the call to live lives that are the antithesis to all that is happening around us. To possess a different spirit, living in the opposite spirit or living the antithesis are all but different expressions of living the Jesus' way of life. No compromise. This way of living is likened to building our lives on the rock and when the storm comes, we are secure in Him.

God's grace is sufficient
The Apostle Paul could boast and glory in his weakness because he has discovered the secret of strength. He said that when he was weak then he was strong. He received a divine revelation of God's grace when he heard the Lord speaking to him, "My grace is sufficient for you." God is our strength when we are weak. The way to access such spiritual strength is by coming to the throne of grace. There are many who have been Christians for a long time but have never learnt to come to the throne of grace. God promised that we will find grace and help in time of need.

God's grace has been misrepresented by many as the license to sin. This is but one of the deception that the enemy has sown in the mind of many Christians. God's grace is a real, tangible spiritual substance that will enable its recipient to be overcomer in whatever trying situation. We can always access such spiritual strength as and when we approach the throne of grace. God's grace leads us to righteous living and enables us to be and to do all that God wants us to be and to do.

If we have never learnt to approach the throne of grace, it is a good time to draw near to Him today before His throne. It is a new and living way that is open to all blood-bought children of God. Once we have learnt to access the throne of grace, let us also spur one another to do the same. Come what may, once we have experienced the reality of receiving grace from the throne of grace, we will know where to find grace and help in time of need.

Always there
Living under an open heaven simply means, living in the manifest Presence of God. As much as we want to dwell in His Presence, God wants us to know that He is always there with us even when we fail to recognize His Presence. He was with us through our ups and downs and He will be with us all the time as He promised never to leave us nor forsake us. These are not just nice words and greetings to say to one another. This is a reality and a consciousness that must become a part of us.

One of the ways God has always shown Himself faithful in my walk with Him, especially when I am weak or when I stumble and fall is His constant reminder that He is always there with me. Each time God reveals this truth afresh in my heart, there is an infusion of divine life within me and I know that I can carry on and He will never fail me.

It is of utmost importance that we receive fresh revelations of Him being there with us all the time continually. Such revelations impart divine life into our spirits and empower us to walk victoriously on this earth. When you are weak or when you are weary, hear Him whisper to you, "My Child, I am always here for you." Let the consciousness of His Presence be a constant reality in our daily living.

A Closing Note
God is our strength when we are weak. The Lord allows us to experience the ups and downs in life for us to discover how helpless we are in ourselves and to seek our true strength and help in Him alone who lives within us. As we learn to live a life of dependance on God, we are also equipping ourselves for tough times. Genuine faith is one that can withstand testings and trials.

In the Bible, we read that God instructed Noah to build an ark before the Flood. God in His great mercies, spoke to Noah of what was to come and the task that He has prepared for him. Noah needed to take heed of what God had told him and obeyed each detailed instruction given by God. Noah was known as one who was righteous and walked with God. Do we know our God? The One Who is our Refuge, Redeemer and our Strong Tower in times of trouble. Do we walk with God?

There is an ark (a secret place) where we can find our safety and refuge when the storms are raging - this secret place is in Him. (Psalm 91:1 -  He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.)  As we draw near to God He will give us specific instructions to prepare ourselves for what is coming to the face of the earth. Let us examine our lives in the light of the above discussion and ask the Lord to speak to us that we will find ourselves in the secret place of the Most High and abiding under the shadow of the Almighty at all times.

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Season of the Lord : Time to Enter In

Whilst I was in the midst of perusing some office documents yesterday, I heard the whisper of God's voice in my heart, "Season of the Lord, time to enter in." It came as a little surprise to me because the word of the Lord came to me not during my usual devotional time or not when I was waiting for Him to speak. Indeed, this is the beauty of walking with our awesome God. As the hymn writer aptly described our relationship with the Living God, "He walks with me and He talks with me..."

Shortly after the above 'divine incident', I checked my email and saw the title of Melissa Flores' post which caught my attention: "A Clash of Seasons". It was like I received an immediate confirmation of what I have just heard!

A Strategic NOW Word
I believe God is releasing a very strategic word to His body right now. We are in a time and season of divine acceleration in God's calendar. Sometimes, perhaps due to the long wait for God's answers to many of our prayers and His fulfillment of His promises, we are accustomed to thinking that we will see the fulfillment of His words "some time in the future". Yes, we may be excited when we first received the vision but as years dragged by and when we seem to be "wiser" after the days of trials and wilderness, we've lost the child-like faith of believing God for the PRESENT and for the NOW. In the past weeks, I have personally experienced two amazing accounts of God's divine acceleration at work which completely caught me by surprise! Hallelujah! All glory to God!

What time is it?
It is important to know the times and seasons we are in according to God's calendar, especially God's kairos time for His people in this hour. The consequence of missing God's timing could be disastrous as we can see from the example of King David's life. When it was a time for kings to be out involved in battles, he was up on the roof relaxing! Let's take heed and move according to God's timing instead of ours. Now is the time to enter into God's season. It's time to believe, declare and to be focussed on Him. It's time not to be distracted but to move forward and step in to His season. Do you know what time is it now? Its' the Season of the Lord and it is Time to Enter in.

A side note
We have been receiving a number of personal prophecy requests lately and some of you may have waited for a while to receive any feedback from us. Please be rest assured that every request will be attended to. We appreciate your patience and we covet your prayers too! We believe that the Lord is also leading us to begin a free online prophetic school soon as it is the inheritance of God's children to hear the voice of the Shepherd. So, please pray with us and check back regularly for updates on the free online prophetic school (if you're interested!). Bless you!

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Aligned for the New Season - Part II

This is a continuation from the post entitled "Aligned for the New Season" regarding a dream I had in June this year. Strange as it seems, this morning I woke up with a very strong feeling in my spirit. For the past few days, I have woken up with dreams in which some contain messages that I have yet to fully understand. However, this morning, I could not remember any particular dream or vision in the night but it was just a strong feeling within me. And it's a feeling that "we (my family) are getting ready to travel". It's like we are all ready to embark on a travelling journey. This definitely is linked to my earlier dream in June.

If you have also been receiving the message about "aligning for the new season", I believe this is also a message for you - the time is come for the New Season. We are now getting ready to step into the New Season. We are getting ready to travel, so to speak.

Upon reflection, there have been a couple of things in the past few months that the Holy Spirit has been doing where we can learn as we yield and cooperate with Him in the "alignment process": -

1. Aligned with the right company of people
Sometimes, to be aligned with God's purposes and desires, God will lead us to be connected to the right people. This may involve leaving behind certain familiar relationships that we have established but we must be led by His Spirit at all times and obey Him even though we may not fully understand what He is doing.

2. Aligned with His heart
It also involves the putting away of the old wineskin before we can have the new wineskin. God will have to deal with our hearts in relation to "idols" that we may have brought in from the past seasons. A fresh circumcision of the heart may be necessary but on a different level altogether where a deeper level of consecration is required. The "one thing" becomes more defined as we allow God to examine our desires, motives and intents.

3. Aligned with His nature (holiness)
God can bring us to different levels of repentance and the deeper the repentance, the hideousness of sin and our sinful nature is revealed to us. He is imparting the spirit of the fear of the Lord into us that we may usher in the greater things that He wants to do through our lives yet we will not rob His glory nor stand in the way of what He desires to do.

The above are just a few of the highlights of the work of the Holy Spirit in bringing us to alignment with God and His purposes. What we have to realize and understand is that it is crucial not to miss the timing of stepping into the new season that He has set before us. At the same time, it is crucial that we are ready for the next season. This would mean that we are ready to leave behind the past and to move into the new. We need the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to know what we are to leave behind and what He wants us to carry into the new. Let His desires be our desires and let us walk in step with His timing.

John the Baptist was the voice in the wilderness declaring prepare ye the way of the Lord more than two thousand years ago. Many prophetic voices have released timely words for the bride of Christ to prepare the way of the Lord and may we take heed to what the Spirit of the Lord is saying. Let us listen to what He is saying right now to us as we read in Isaiah 40:3-5,

A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

This season of alignment is also a season of His expression of love. We may somewhat find ourselves in difficult and trying circumstances at this hour be it through our own fault or others and we are asking ourselves, am I a candidate for the New Season too? Yes, seek the Lord while He may be found. He is a gracious God and He is our strength when we are weak. The Lord is speaking comfort to those who find themselves in the pits. God has not left us nor forsaken us.

It is certainly a time to get right with Him and do not be deceived by the enemy's whisperings that it's too late or it's of no use because the Father in Heaven is waiting for each one of us, to embrace us, to give us a change of clothing and to throw a feast for our return! We have a God with a superabundant supply of grace and mercy. Let's approach Him with boldness and faith for ultimately it is His grace that qualifies us and nothing of our own works or righteousness. Yes, we are all getting ready to step into the New Season!! A season of the fulfillment of His promises for us and a season of the outpouring of the Spirit of God! A season of blessings and a season of breakthroughs! Amen and amen!!

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School of the Prophets in the North 2011

Many have been blessed by the ministry of Prophetess Lydia Chee and Prophet Joseph Lam. I am posting some brief information (as extracted from the flyer) on their next School of the Prophets in the North herebelow. To find out more about the School of the Prophets in the North or to join the School, you may click to download the flyer at the end of this short post.

Introduction
This is an exciting apostolic and prophetic training school with an emphasis to EQUIP, TRAIN AND RELEASE THROUGH TEACHING, IMPARTATION AND ACTIVATION!

When:           November 28 to December 4, 2011

Where:          Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia

Founder
The prophetic school is run by the founder, Prophetess Lydia Chee who is known for her uncompromising stand in ministry and life, through very unique and strong working of God. Her ministry carries a cutting edge to lift up God’s standard in nations, ministers and believers where many have been released to serve the living God. Known to speak and teach the Word of the Lord that carries the fire of God that burns from her heart. Her ministry has been classified as “Experiencing God’s tangible presence and fire.” She ministers in conferences, Pastors & Leaders conferences, church camps, Bible schools,churches conducting seminars and meetings in Malaysia as well as in U.K., Australia, Philippines, Indonesia, Finland and many others as the Lord opens the doors.

Vision
To raise giants in nations where ministers, leaders and individuals will carry God’s heart and passion to impact and change lives. The School of the Prophets in the North uniquely carries strong manifestation of God where participants in time past experienced the move of His spirit that
triggers the catalytic work of God in them. Powerful demonstration of His presence has taken place with impartation as He is allowed to move anytime including during the teaching and worship.

Teachings with Impartation

1. The Prophetic and Apostolic Ministry – Establishing and Demonstrating the call.
2. Developing accuracy in hearing His voice and Prophetic Intercession & Warfare over nations.
3. Developing and flowing in the Five - fold ministry and thrust. Sharpening the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
4. How to move in deep worship that ushers His presence and the move of God.
5. Understanding and Identifying Religious Spirits/Witchcraft/Controlling spirits – Spirit of Jezebel / Absalom spirit / Anti-Christ spirits.
6. Your life & Ministry – The making of His man or woman.
7. The Power of the Cross and Deliverance.
8. Divine Health, Healing & Miracles.

For more information: click here

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Do you get distracted easily?

Trying to keep an infant distracted is an art mastered by most fathers. This is especially true when trying to soothe a crying baby or trying to calm her whilst mum is busy with other chores. I read somewhere which mentioned that the Greek word for distraction means to draw away. It is literally drawing away the attention from an original purpose, goal, direction, position, interest, or association.

Distraction is a powerful tool employed by the enemy of our souls in attempts to steer our focus and vision away from their rightful direction. It is powerful because all it takes is a small, minor distraction and before long, we can be miles away from pursuing the right goal in the right direction. Distractions come in a variety of shapes and forms and they usually 'visit' us unannounced through the subtle engineering of circumstances that do not appear to be anything out of the norm.

We are told in the Scriptures that the eye is the lamp of the body (Matthew 6:22). Proverbs 29:18 also tells us that without revelation or vision, we perish. The picture of Samson's eyes being gouged out by the Philistines speaks a thousand words to the discerning soul. He lost his anointing and physical vision because of his inability to deal with 'distractions'. His Nazirite calling and vocation appear to be perishing but in God's great mercies, we read of his penitent soul and an unexpected ending to his story. Perhaps, not as graphic as Samson's account, many today are also in the danger of being distracted without realizing that they have fallen prey to the crafty tool of distraction employed by the adversary. I just read from an email that I received a few days ago which highlighted the danger of distraction: -

We are living in the last days of God’s timetable for the world. We have no time to waste on any distractions. We can’t afford to be delayed, detoured or distracted from fulfilling our destinies. Even a short delay can be fatal to those following us, as well as to the generations at risk that will be impacted by us.

A few examples of how distractions can come in a very subtle manner are as follows: -

(a) an out-of-balance prosperity gospel teaching. If all we care about is prosperity and blessings (motivated by selfish greed), perhaps a fine tuning of our vision and focus at this juncture of our lives would be necessary to keep us re-aligned to God's purpose and calling for our lives.

(b) the popular, yet twisted teaching of grace. If grace is only 'viewed' as a means of enriching and pampering our self at the expense of God's holiness and righteousnes, such a lopsided emphasis of grace has become another form of distraction to many honest but gullible minds.

(c) an obsession of social and political concerns to the point of neglecting the weightier matters of the kingdom. We can fall into the danger of making light of the love of our God, as demonstrated in the sufferings and death of His Son.

(d) an obsession of physical manifestations including signs and wonders at the expense of the pre-eminence of Christ and glorifying God in righteous and holy living.

We are not denying that God desires to prosper His people and shower His extravagant grace on His people. In fact, each child of God has an important prophetic part to play in the earthly place and boundary God has placed him or her. Further, there is no doubt that there is going to be a mighty move of God in the last days that will increase the frequency and magnitude of God's awesome power through signs, wonders and miracles. But, keeping first things first is of utmost importance and when we put all our attention and energy on what seems to be "the good" in our eyes, we may miss out on "the best" of what God has prepared for us since "the good is always the enemy of the best." And "the good" becomes a distraction to us from having "the best."

Perhaps the more common form of distractions would be the day-to-day busyness of our routine lives. Sometimes, we allow the happenings in a day to edge out times set apart for God. We have somehow allowed circumstances to dictate our lives and little by little, we just drift along in life, being swayed by which ever wind that blows our way, having no sense of divine direction and purpose in life.

A time of shaking is coming to the nations and if we are constantly swayed by the various winds of distractions and our relationship with God is not firmly established in Him, we may not find ourselves in perfect peace when the perfect storm hits our shores. The Lord our God promised us that He will keep us in perfect peace whose eye (mind) is stayed on Him (Isaiah 26:3). We are also exhorted in Hebrews 12 to lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and run with endurance the race that is set before us. And we can only be on this path when we fix our eyes, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Christ Himself has set the example for us to follow. He could have been distracted by the deceptive snares of the devil in the wilderness. Or He could have easily been swayed by the attempts of His disciples to establish an earthly kingdom and overthrow the then ruling kingdom. But, we read that He kept His eyes on His Father and the mission His Father entrusted Him with.

It is not difficult to return to the place of undistracted stillness in our walk with God. Make time and space for us to bare our souls before God in sincerity and humility. Like a longing father waiting to embrace his wayward child, our Heavenly Father longs to embrace us and keep us in His embrace. In times of communion with Him, He will whisper in our ears the areas that require alignment and adjustment so that by implementing His instructions, we may once again be walking in the path He has prepared for us. Are you distracted? Draw near to God and you will not be drawn away.

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Rosh Hashanah 5772

This year, Rosh Hashana (literally, "head of the year") marks the Jewish year 5772, which began at sunset Wednesday and ends at nightfall Friday. Interestingly, it is both a celebration of the Jewish New Year as well as a time of reflection and repentance. Unlike our Gregorion calendar, the New Year is actually not the first month in the Hebrew calendar, rather the first two days in the seventh month, known as Tishrei. Rosh Hashanah takes place 10 days before Day of Atonement (or Yom Kippur), and many use this time to ponder, reflect and meditate, especially throughout whas is known as the 10 days of reflection. During the 10-day period, many will seek forgiveness from those they have wronged in preparation of Day of Atonement.

Little did I know that God has prepared a couple of divine appointments with Him during this time of the year. Firstly, a day before Rosh Hashanah, I attended a meeting where an evangelist from Pakistan was scheduled to minister. I have not heard him speak before but as he began to share from the Word, you just know that you are listening to a humble, servant of the Most High God. It was a simple yet penetrating message that spoke to my heart indeed. But the icing on the cake was when he ministered prophetically to everyone personally. I whispered in my heart, asking the Lord to speak a timely word that I needed to hear and not what I wanted to hear. Then, beyond my expectation, the evangelist released a word of knowledge about something very personal that touches my heart deeply. Somehow, knowing that God speaks something so personal to you through a total stranger brings a fresh revelation of God's love for you. And together with the word of knowledge, he released a timely word of encouragement from the throne room of God. Amen and hallelujah!! What a great God we serve.

On the next day, I received an sms in the morning from a dear pastor that his church was hosting the last meeting of a series of meetings with a couple from South America whom my wife and myself have last met about five years ago. Cutting a long story short, armed with the Lord's divine confirmation, favour and arrangement, I drove about 144km to attend the meeting with my wife and children in the evening. It was a joyous ocassion to be re-united with the dear pastor and family as well as the South American pastors. My wife and myself were tremendously blessed by the ministry of the Holy Spirit through His servants and again, God spoke to us in an intimate manner. All glory to God!

If you are reading this post now, believe that God has also arranged His little surprises to bless you as you seek Him today, especially during this period of time. It is a time that God will bring to your remembrance, the great and precious inheritance you have in Christ Jesus in your life. There may be dreams, aspirations and visions that God has planted within you in the past but they have been buried deep in the valley of disappointments, disillusionments and discouragements. Fret not, for this is the time, dry bones shall live again! It is the Lord's desire to visit our valley of dry bones today even as He will open the doors for us to enter into the next phase or the next season that He has prepared for us.

Yes, undoubtedly, we are living in the midst of shakings all around us. Tremendous change is taking place at every level of life that we know. And things are happening at a frightening pace. In the midst of this increasing deep darkness, there are also a lot of spiritual activities amongst the remnant of His people, His bride. Now is the time for us to be equipped and be prepared as we allow the Lord to work in us as He builds His ark within us. Now is the time to seek Him while He may be found. Let's set aside the next couple of days to seek Him with all our hearts and also a time of reflection and repentance. As we ask, seek and knock before the throne of God, certainly doors that have been shut in the past will be opened to us for there is no denying that now is also the appointed time to know the goodness of the Lord and that His love endures forever.

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Holy Spirit or Power Spirit?

"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8)" Apart from John 3:16, this is another oft-quoted verse, especially amongst Pentecostal or Charismatic Christians. We cannot deny that Christendom has lost somewhat the dunamis (dynamite) power of God in our every day living and ministry. We'd like to make reference to the demonstration of God's power during the times of the apostles in the book of Acts. Our hearts would often skip a beat when we listen to testimonies of the demonstration of God's power in far-away lands.

Surely, we are living in a kairos time where we are going to witness the greatest outpouring of the glory of God in the history of mankind as we enter the last days. Mighty signs, wonders and outrageous miracles will no longer be a domain for the select few but just as prophesied by Joel, it shall come to pass a day when the Holy Spirit shall be poured out upon ALL flesh.

However, in our pressing in into the Kingdom of God and praying and believing for breakthroughs and revivals, have we somewhat lost the understanding of the true identity of our God and inherited a mixed identity of the Spirit of God instead? Have we been guilty of reducing the Holy Spirt to just a Power Spirit? Does the end justify the means? Just because a person could display an array of the gifts of the Spirit, can we then justify his or her less-than-exemplary character or lifestyle? Surely, we are not in a position to judge another but how do we then reconcile such incompatibility in the light of the nature of Christ? These are valid questions that we should confront and honestly ask ourselves.

We have to be aware of the two pronged strategy of the adversary towards believers today. The enemy of our soul is the father of lies and would attempt at every opportunity to corrupt the intended work and purpose of God among His people. Firstly, the spirit of this age has lulled many Christians to sleep and to be complacent with their spiritual lives. The indifference of the younger generation and the complacency of the older generation are signs that the spirit of the age have penetrated believers worldwide. Will it be too late for us to realize that we are after all seeking a curse camouflaging as a blessing? Would it grieve our souls to realize how much of the world is inside us compared to the degree of Christ possessing our lives?

On the other hand, the influx of half-truth doctrines in churches today is alarming and errors have been spreading like wildfire. The passage in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 is taking place right before our eyes today, i.e. "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables." Undoubtedly, we are living in times when God is pouring out His revelation and mysteries of the Kingdom of God are being unfolded to us but we would be naive to be thinking that the adversary of our souls would merely sit still to watch what God is doing.

We serve and worship a holy God. Nothing can subtract the holiness of God. We may be more interested in power and prosperity but God is interested in His pure and spotless bride. His bride will be gloriously beautiful indeed for God will not withold any good thing from His bride. But we should not lose sight of our holy God. The Spirit of God is FIRST, the HOLY SPIRIT of God. As much as we desire the power of God manifested in our midst, we must come to the realization that holiness is His nature. It is His desire that His bride be holy, just as He is holy. The priority of the workings and dealings of our God in our lives is the fruit of the Spirit. Yes, He is more interested in our character, our walk with Him, our relationship with Him. Our "being" precedes our "doing". There is a call to a deeper consecration for the body of Christ in this hour. It is a call to welcome the Holy Spirit to cleanse us and purge us from everything that is not of Him. Oh yes, we may have surrendered our lives to Him but He is calling us deeper and His demands of love are knocking at the doors of our hearts.

Christ Himself could say that "the ruler of this world has found nothing in Me" (John 14:30). As we allow His grace to work in our hearts to purify our motives and intents and search into the depths of our hearts - perhaps we could also echo the words of Jesus that our adversary has nothing in us. When the Word (Jesus, the word manifested) and the Spirit (alighting in the likeness of a dove) were in union during the baptism of Jesus, there was an open heaven and the commissioning of the public ministry of Jesus, signalling a new page in the history of mankind. We are also at the verge of entering a new chapter in this time and season we are living in. Let us consecrate ourselves to God and allow Him to work in us towards Christ-likeness. Allow Him to bring forth a revolution of His holiness among His people in preparation of the great outpouring of His glory. And the bride of Christ shall indeed arise and shine in purity and power. Come Holy Spirit!

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My kingdom is not of this world

Jesus made a remarkable statement in John 18:36 when He told Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." Indeed, how relevant is this statement for us to ponder and reflect upon today! If Jesus were to walk on our lands today, He would have resisted numerous attempts from well-meaning Christians to install him as the leader of a political party to overthrow other wicked governments around us.

Many Christians today are both distracted and peer-pressured by the political happenings around them. As much as we are called to be salt and light of the earth and to pray for all that are in authority (1 Timothy 2:1-2), we are not to be sucked into the conforming pressure of worldly political demands. In Daniel 2, we read and understand that it is God who sets up kings and removes kings. We also read throughout the history of God's people in the Scriptures that earthly kings and governments are but the vessels He used to fulfill His eternal plan and purpose.

My heart has been recently troubled by the overzealousness of some Christian leaders and Christians who have shifted their devotion from God and from what He has called them to do in pursuit of a change of worldly political government and at the same time elevating political affiliations and inclinations in the name of upholding justice and righteousness. As people of God, we are those who should know better that true righteousness and justice are only to be found in Christ alone. Let us not be deceived into thinking that the answer to a nation's problems lies in the natural political realm. I am so delighted to read Wade Taylor's recent short message that he sent out which aptly describes our condition today (italics mine):-

We are living in the time of transition from the rule of Gentile world powers, into the Millennial Kingdom of God. These Gentile world powers are in a process of decreasing, and the Millennial Kingdom is beginning to increase. Most of the Lord's people have their eyes set on the Gentile world governments, and are praying and seeking ways to bring correction. But instead, we should consecrate our prayers and attention on the developing government of the Kingdom of God, as the Gentile world governments are in the process of being brought to an end.

Yes, we have a part to play as His prophetic people on this earth but we are to be aware of the danger of us falling into the trap of being distracted from our supernatural and spiritual calling and destiny in Him and not to be overwhelmed by a natural cause propagated by this world. When we are distracted and begin to also be conformed to the wordly demands and priorities around us, we are in danger of the warning in Jeremiah 17:5, i.e. "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the LORD."

A few weeks ago, whilst browsing a church's webpage on the Internet, I was attracted to one particular sermon title that reads something like this: "The Holy Spirit is the hope of [name of nation]" How simplistic yet true! The title is indeed true for every nation in this world. Romans 8:19 tells us that, "the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God (Romans 8:19)." We are living in a time and season where we cannot afford to be distracted and fall short to heed what the Spirit of the Lord is saying to His people today. Lest we forget, the very prophetic words of Christ uttered two thousand years ago should ring loud and clear in our hearts today, i.e. to "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness(Matthew 6:33a)." Let us return to seek Him with all our hearts.

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Aligned for the New Season

Recently, the Lord spoke to me through a prophetic dream which I believe is also a timely word for many in the Body of Christ. I pray that the Spirit of the Lord will speak to you and minister to you through this posting even as you read and ponder over its meaning to your life personally. You are welcome to share this word as the Holy Spirit leads you. (We welcome you to subscribe to our blog by entering your email address under "Subscribe via Email" at the right hand column of the blog or you may want to Follow the blog by Google Friend Connect)

In this short dream I find myself inside my car in a car servicing centre. I knew that the car was there for its wheel alignment to be checked. The unusual detail of this dream is the timing of this car maintenance exercise. It was dark and I was shown a clock which tells me it was 5.00 in the morning. Instinctively, I understand that together with my family members who were with me in the car (in the dream), we were going for a travelling journey (somewhat like a trip to some destination). And then, I woke up from my sleep.

Firstly, let's take a look at some of the symbols in the dream and what do they represent: -

Car
From the journal where I record all the dreams given by God, I have come to understand that God always uses "car" as a symbol to speak about:
(i) our lives;
(ii) our ministries; or
(iii) the means to accomplish a purpose.

Wheel alignment
As extracted from wikipedia,

wheel alignment sometimes referred to as tracking, is part of standard automobile maintenance that consists of adjusting the angles of the wheels so that they are set to the car maker's specification. The purpose of these adjustments is to reduce tire wear, and to ensure that vehicle travel is straight and true (without "pulling" to one side). Alignment angles can also be altered beyond the maker's specifications to obtain a specific handling characteristic.

Alignment
The verb "align" is defined in dictionary.com as: -
1. to arrange in a straight line; adjust according to a line.
2. to bring into a line or alignment.
3. to bring into cooperation or agreement with a particular group, party, cause, etc.

5 o'clock in the morning
The number "5" speaks of grace. And 5am is a time just before the break of dawn.

A journey
This speaks about entering into a new season or a new period where God is going to bring us to fulfill His purpose and destiny for us in that season.

What is the Lord saying through this dream?

Many today are waiting for the fulfillment of His promises and prophetic words, whether on a personal or corporate basis. There is an increased sense of anticipation in the hearts of many and in the spirit realm, to witness God performing His words in a new and mighty way. Through this dream, God is saying that we are now "parked" at His workshop whereby a divine alignment is taking place before the break of dawn. Every part of our lives and ministries are being examined and being brought into alignment with His nature, plans and purposes. This is to ensure that we are on the straight and narrow path and do not deviate from His calling and purposes for our lives and ministries. Oftentimes, we may lose our focus or perspective in life as we go through trials, delays and disappointments. But, God in His divine mercies, is bringing divine adjustment that our lives may be in agreement with His heart's desire. The Lord is setting a plumbline through His written words and the cross of Jesus Christ.

This is not an hour of condemnation but an hour of grace. He is extending His windows of grace. Therefore, harden not our hearts against His Spirit's workings in our hearts. In this alignment and realignment exercise, there may be pain and time seems to be wasted as things seem to be not moving. It is a time to open our hearts for His correction. It may involve tightening and loosening of some bolts here and there. But He promises us that His grace is sufficient for us. It is a time of complete dependence on His grace and not our flesh and frail efforts.

We will soon enter into a season where the realities of Isaiah 60:1-3 shall soon be manifested: -

Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the LORD will arise upon you,
and his glory will be seen upon you.
And nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your rising

The Lord also quickened the verse in 2 Peter 1:19: -

And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts...

I have also been hearing the Lord whispering this in my heart lately: -
"A change of heart is required for a change of season."

Are you in a place where you do not know what you should do? Look to the Lord. Look upon the cross where our Savior bled and died. At the same time, open your heart and yield to the Spirit of God, allowing Him to do a work in us. When He has brought us into alignment with the desires of the Father, we are then ready to step into His purposes which He has ordained for us. Hallelujah! Keep looking to Him!

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Continue the Climb

The melody of this song kept ringing inside my heart and spirit when I woke up one morning last week. Recognizing this as one of the ways God use to speak to me from past experiences, I quickly went to take a look at the lyrics of the song. Indeed, these words were like a message directly from the throne room of God! I'm reproducing the lyrics of the song below, praying that they will also speak to each one of you who reads this post. Continue the climb!

The rose climbs the highest wall
It's trying to touch the light
that keeps calling,
"Press on and look up"
There're thorns on the path ahead
where many have tried
But you will succeed
if you continue the climb

Continue the journey
Continue the climb
You will find living wells
Many never find
There is a secret place
For those who press on
Fear loses all it's power
When you stand on the wall

The rose gives its sweetest smell
When its petals are crushed
It's breaking that's calling
"Press on and keep trust"
There's testing along the path
where many have tried
But you will succeed
if you continue the climb

I'll sing hallelujah
I'll drink His new wine
Nothing can stop
the flow of God in my life
There is a secret place
For those who press on
Fear loses all it's power
When you stand on the wall

(This is a song written by Mona Johnian from her CD entitled "The Great Tea House")

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When God is silent

What do we do when God seems to be silent? Firstly, before we ponder on the subject, we are in agreement that we believe in a God who speaks. In fact, the Scriptures are full of references to a God who speaks and communicates with His people. The Good Shepherd speaks and we as His sheep do hear His voice. Well, some may debate that God is not a chatterbox (as there are people who are always hearing God speaking to them every moment) whereas some may hold the notion that God is interested in every minute detail of our lives and that He does indeed speak to us on any issue that we communicate with Him. Debates aside, I sincerely believe that God speaks to us as much as we would like to hear from Him. The level of hunger and intimacy of our relationship with Christ are crucial whilst not forgetting, the Sovereignty of God. Very often, the modern Christians have failed to have a healthy perspective of the Sovereign God we serve. The Almighty God of heavens and the earth has been reduced to a year-round "santa claus" with a dispensing machine feature. The "God has to do what I asked Him to do" and "He must speak when I asked HIm to" attitudes are prevalent amongst the modern believers today.

Coming back to the subject of this post, like it or not, there are times and seasons when God seems to be silent. There may be a season where we experience the abundance of His still small voice, visions, dreams and perhaps, divine encounters. And there are times when we need very much to hear from the Lord but all that we hear is just a divine silence. It is true that divine silence can be a way that God speaks to His people. Is it not amazing that even in silence, God is "speaking" to us? Just like in a relationship between a husband and wife or a parent and a child. Before entering into an argument or in the midst of an argument, there might be a "cold war session" where a party speaks and the other party refuses to respond - just pure silence. More often than not, such silence is usually a sign of disapproval or disagreement that is being communicated by the silent party. Having said that, we do not usually experience a prolonged silence in the communication between a husband and wife or a parent and child. It would be an unhealthy sign to have a prolonged silence, which could signify a break-down in the relationship.

Therefore, in God's silence, we are also to learn what is He communicating with us and how do we respond to Him in such times. We would not want to have a prolonged silence in our relationship with our Loving Savior. Let's take a look at a couple of probable reasons that would cause God to be silent (these are certainly not exhaustive). First of all is the obvious factor of sin. Even though many would like to avoid this issue of sin but the truth is when we have sinned and failed to repent, we inevitably close the door of divine communication in our lives. God, in His great mercies, convicts us through His Holy Spirit and continues to "speak" to us in different manner to lead us back to Him. No, He doesn't condemn us for He has already provided the solution for sin through His Son but His desire is for our hearts to return to Him in true repentance. God is restoring the revelation of His holiness amongst His people in the last days and if we respond to Him, we will all catch the revelation of the splendour and majesty of the Great Jehovah God in the beauty of His holiness. If sin is the issue, let us draw near to His throne of grace in brokenness and sincerity that we may enjoy unbroken communion and fellowship with our Bridegroom again.

However, if we continue in our rebellion and refuse to repent, we are in a danger of falling into a state of deafness. In Luke 10:13, Jesus described such terrible state when He declared, "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes." Bethsaida is a place where God fed the five thousand people and performed other mighty wonders and miracles and yet despite such display of God's power, the hearts of the people refused to return and repent. Such wicked and ungrateful hearts would inevitably lead them to the folly of their sins and a place where the voice of God is no longer heard. May this verse be a constant reminder to us all not to fall into such state of rebellion leading to deafness in the spirit.

Disobedience also leads to the sad state of not hearing from God. The Bible tells us of an account when the heavens become brass and God seemed to be silent in the life of King Saul in 1 Samuel 28:6 - "And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets." This is an account where God deliberately refused to answer King Saul. God chose to remain silent. Why? At this point in King Saul's life, we have read that God has rejected him due to his continued disobedience. Hence, it is a tragic place to end up in for King Saul. It is always good to ask the Holy Spirit to search our hearts, especially when we feel that God is silent in our lives. As the Lord shows us our sins or disobedience, let us run to the Mercy Seat and seek His forgiveness, cleansing and restoration. Perhaps, God has given us clear instructions or commandments and we did not obey them. We will not receive another set of fresh instructions until we start obeying what we have been instructed by Him. This may also be true for many people who are asking for directions from God, i.e. we will not receive new directives until we have obeyed what we know God has asked us to do.

It must also be rightly pointed out that not all divine silence has to do with our sin, rebellion or disobedience. It could well be God's purposeful withdrawal of Himself for a season. In our walk and journey with God, there will be times when He withdraws Himself from us in love. This is a time when God desires to lead us into a new level of walk, a deeper degree of intimacy or a new season with Him. For the careful and watchful seekers and lovers of God, such silence would spur them to a renewed passion for the Lord. It is a good time to be awakened from our complacency and not to rest on our laurels. For some, the mundane has led them to a rut and such divine withdrawals are actually God's intentional drawing and wooing of His bride. With a renewed hunger and passion, we seek after Him knowing that He will not disappoint us. It can also be a season of pruning and letting go of unnecessary entanglements in our lives, which would be preparatory for us to be propelled into the next season with the Lord. Oh, how amazing and wondrous are the ways of our God!

Lastly, such times of divine silence should provoke within us a holy awe towards our God. We are to recognize the awesome sovereignty of God. Even if He chooses not to speak, we will still follow Him and love Him. When God is silent, I choose to worship Him and acknowledge Him as my Master, Lord and King. He has the prerogative not to speak when He chooses not to. My response is a loving abandonment to Him wholly. This is a time where true worship and adoration rises up within us and be poured out at His feet. We love Him not just for what He has done but for who He is.

On a practical note, whether we are in a season of God's silence or the abundance of His voice in our lives, we are to attune ourselves to the frequencies of Heaven at all times. We should never forsake the reading of His word and the private times of personal prayer and worship. These are avenues for His people to be aligned to their spiritual identity and heritage whilst living in this world. Sadly, the modern Christians today have forsaken the treasures of His Word, prayer and worship in their lives leading them to a destitute state of living. Substitutes like social networking, modern gadgets, good music, entertaining messages and social blogs fall short of nourishing our spiritual lives. Many are in deception whilst some are in ignorance or just being indifferent. It is high time to be awake and our prayer is that many hearts will be opened for the Holy Spirit to work in so that the lives of every Christian be ignited with the passion and love for His Word and to spend much time praying, fellowshipping, worshipping and communing with the Lord in greater intensity. Amen.

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Rejecting God

When the people of God in 1 Samuel 8 demanded for a king to judge them and to go out before them to fight their battles like all the nations, God told prophet Samuel that, "they have rejected Me." These must have been words uttered from a grieved heart. The people whom I have delivered from the hands of the Egyptian opressors and whom I have shown My love through mighty signs and wonders are now forsaking Me and demanding for a king to rule over them. For a child of God who has experienced and tasted the goodness of the Most High God it would not be probable for him or her to wake up one morning and decide to reject God. Let us consider the early chapters in 1 Samuel and trace the decline of the spiritual state of God's people leading to their demand for a human king.

The birth of a new generation and judgement upon the priesthood
The first three chapters of Samuel introduce us to the background circumstances leading to the birth of Samuel and God's purpose for the hour. It was a time in the history of Israel where God was ushering in a new season of His prophetic voice and judgment through His chosen vessel. And the birth of His chosen vessel would not happen until God has first found a willing mother who was desperate enough to have a son to the extent she would offer the son back to the Lord. In the mysterious inter-weavings of circumstances through personal and family crises and the triumph of God's faithfulness, Samuel was born. At the same time, the birth of Samuel marked the beginning of God's judgment upon the priesthood of Eli and his wicked sons.

In the times and seasons we are living today, we are also witnessing that the Lord is raising up a new generation of faithful priesthood who shall do according to what is in His heart and in His mind. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). Through trying and difficult circumstances, the eyes of the Lord are seeking mothers (His bride) who are both desperate for a son and yet willing to offer the son back to the Lord as His channel of His glorious purpose and destiny. True to His words, judgment is also beginning in His house where the beginning of the end has come upon His servants who have brought abomination to His Name.

The Ark of God captured and the departure of His Glory
The capture of the ark of God (the symbol of the Presence of God) by the Philistines marked the dawn of the dark ages of His people. In fact, His people had lost the Presence of God before the ark was captured. Many today are not aware that the churches have lost the Presence of God and yet the show must go on week after week. When they have first lost their battle in 1 Samuel 4, they thought that by having the ark of God in their camp would work like a lucky charm that would ensure them victory and success. To them, God was "used" in hope for victory in their battle.

There was loud shouting until the earth shook but this was not a sign of God's Presence in their midst. What a sad state of deception to be in believing that God can be "used" by us at our whims and fancies to achieve our selfish purposes. The Presence of God has left and we know it not. There can still be a lot of shouting in churches today but it may not necessarily mean God is in the shouting. Sadly, many churches today have become entertainment centres instead of a place to worship a holy and awesome God. How can one places his attention and focus on God when the large screens are capturing video feeds of the singers and musicians? Praise and worship have become semblence of secular music concerts?! As much as God has blessed churches with audio-visual technologies and talents, are they drawing people nearer to God or away from God? Phinehas' wife (Eli's daughter in law) gave birth to Ichabod whilst Hannah gave birth to Samuel. Samuel's name depicts the testimony of a God who has heard the cry of Hannah whilst Ichabod speaks of the departure of God's glory from Israel. Tragically, Phinehas' wife died after giving birth to Ichabod just as she also learnt of Eli and Phinenas' deaths.

Rejecting God
After the ark had travelled through a few destinations, we read in 1 Samuel 7:2, "So it was that the ark remained in Kirjath Jearim a long time; it was there twenty years. And all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD". Yes, the house of Israel longed for the Presence of God but they did nothing to bring back the Glory of God to their midst. Despite Samuel leading the people into a mini-revival in 1 Samuel 7, it had not brought a lasting change in their hearts. When they were again faced with Samuel's sons who did not walk in the ways of the Lord, their hearts were not turned towards God and to bring back His glory to their midst but instead, they demanded for a king just like every one else. (It would take a man after God's heart - Israel's second and finest king to bring back the ark of God)

Where do we stand today? Are we also guilty of rejecting God in our lives? Perhaps some of us are aware of the declining state of the churches around us. There may be even those who realized that the Presence of God is not in some of the churches anymore. What is our response today? The truth must be stated - the answer does not lie in political parties or governments. God is the answer. There is no denying that as salt and light, we uphold the principles of truth, righteousness and justice and be responsible citizens in every manner possible wherever God has placed us. However, we are not to forget that we are also citizens of heaven. Rather than being conveniently caught in the ways of the world like the Israelites did - demanding for a king - let us seek the Lord and Him alone. Many today are caught up in the danger of being too distracted by socio-economic and socio-political concerns around them. But, do we take time to be still and listen to what God would say to us in these precarious times? Is this also not the kairos time and season for the kingdom of God? Will you join me to cry out to God to bring back His Glory and Presence to our midst again? Will you not revive us again that your people may rejoice in You?

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Last words of David Wilkerson

I have just learned about the passing of a great man of God - David Wilkerson - who was killed in a car accident on 27 April 2011.

Not only is he known by his best-selling book, "The Cross and the Switchblade" but many including myself have been greatly blessed by his sermons and other books written by him. Also known as a prophet to America (though not considered as one by himself), his hard-hitting messages of repentance and the love of God have been instrumental in leading many to the Kingdom of God. The urgent message that he has given on an earth-shattering calamity in 2009 is still fresh in our minds.

(Click here to read the urgent message)

Apparently, he has left his last words in his last post of the Daily Devotions and may all of us who are still on this side be encouraged to hold fast to the great God whom David faithfully served. What a loving and mighty God we serve: -

“To those going through the valley and shadow of death, hear this word: Weeping will last through some dark, awful nights, and in that darkness you will soon hear the Father whisper, “I am with you,’” Wilkerson wrote. “Beloved, God has never failed to act but in goodness and love. When all means fail-his love prevails. Hold fast to your faith. Stand fast in his Word. There is no other hope in this world.”

(Click here for the full post)

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Be still and know...

How much do we need to come to a place of stillness - for true prayers are born from a place of rest. When our minds and our hearts are filled with cares and worries that weigh us down, we do not find ourselves soaring in prayer. Before entering into true communion with the Lord or a time of prayer, our aim is to find ourselves in a place of rest. We can only bring our petitions before His throne and nowhere else. For it is before the throne of our God that we find the unending supply of grace, mercy, provision and help in time of need. And His throne is a place of perfect peace and harmony. We draw near by tuning ourselves to the frequency of His throne by entering the place of rest - when our spirit, soul and body are are tuned to the harmony of stillness.

Firstly, "be still" is a call to our souls to be real. Come with all the burdens, cares and perplexing thoughts that trouble us. Come with our hearts in sincerity and release the burdens at the feet of Jesus. We are exhorted to cast our cares upon Him for He cares for us. If we are laden with a load of care and we do not know what to do, the first step we take is to bring our cares and leave them before His feet. We unload our burdens and the things that weigh us down before His feet. Strange as it sounds, we detest departing with the things that weigh us down even though we cry out to be released from their clutches. We learn to "be still" when we choose to un-load and detach ourselves from these worries, anxieties and fears of the unknown that occupy our hearts.

Not only do distress and anxieties cloud our hearts and minds, but when we approach His throne, we may also be overwhelmed by a sense of guilt, inadequacy and sinfulness. After traversing upon the paths of the world throughout the day, we feel the effects of the dirt of the earth clinging to our feet and hands and at the same time, haunting our conscience as we draw near before the Most Holy God. Again, we hear the Spirit's clarion call beckoning us to draw near with all boldness, in full reliance of Christ's finished work at the cross despite our guilt or sense of sinfulness. Secondly, "be still" is also a call to acknowledge and see our weakness in the light of His love and holiness and yet not to cower away in fear. We overcome another hurdle into the place of stillness and rest when we cling on the redemptive work of Christ on the cross with all our heart and mind and find the strength to speak to our tainted souls - be still for you are washed and cleansed by the Divine blood of the Son of God.

We are now inching closer to the place of rest and stillness. The place of His glorious Presence - the place of revelation, power and glory. It must not be too far away now. We now encounter an enemy so familiar in its appearance that we are not aware of its schemes and strategies. This enemy comes in many shapes and forms. Spiritual apathy, sloth and distraction are just to name a few examples of its manifestations. We are so close to the promised rest yet it seems so far when we find ourselves indifferent to His wooing and bidding. Just when we are hard pressed at every side and we know that the answer lies in coming before Him but it seems that there are so many things to do than to be still before Him. The works of the flesh begin to rear its ugly head and we give in uncompromisingly each time to its demands. This is when we keep postponing coming before His Presence in stillness and wait upon the King of Kings or find ourselves too lazy to draw near or carried away by distractions in our minds or engrossed with too many external activities. The Psalmist cried out in Psalm 27:8, when You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, LORD, I will seek” There is such swiftness to respond to the Spirit's wooing and bidding. Thirdly, we learn to "be still" when we choose to crucify the flesh and its demands and yield to the higher life of Christ within us. The Apostle Paul revealed in Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

We are confronted with different hurdles each time when we choose to enter into the place of rest. There are times when we encounter one of the three hurdles mentioned above and there are times when all three become so apparent standing in the way to God's promised rest. Praise be to our God for we despair not - with the call comes the divine enablement. When we are desirous to draw near to our Savior and Friend, the one called alongside, our Divine Counsellor will prod us along with encouragement and strenghten us along the way. The key to accessing His help is in dying to ourselves and yielding to Him - a choice we make each moment.

When we are ushered into the place of His rest, indeed what joy it brings to our souls. A place of enlightenment, a place of revelation and a place of divine exchange. It is a place where we exchange our weakness for His strength and we receive His power to accomplish that which we are shown to do. Even in this place, oftentimes many are tempted to just bask in the wonderful feelings and the wonderful ambience of the place but the complete verse of the title of this post goes on to tell us, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" This is a place where we know our God as He is. When we have come to the place of rest and stillness, we receive His divine revelation and just like Jesus, we can begin to do the things we see the Father doing. This is a place where divine strategies are released and the Father's secrets are shared with His bride. And this is the place of prophetic intercession - the most effectual form of prayer that we can embark, that is when we pray in accordance with the heartbeat of God.

Let's take time to be still each day and enter into the place of divine rest for true prayers are indeed born from a place of rest. On a practical note, it is imperative for us to set a time and place each day - to be still before Him and to draw near before His throne. There are "accessories" that can help us when we begin to embark on this journey. Soft, worship (or soaking) music in the background helps to tune our souls to be still. The scriptural exhortation of entering His gates with thanksgiving and praise is another key that will bring us to His throne. Similarly, the grace of reading and meditating upon His word can be used to set our soul and spirit in tune with the frequency of His throne (not discounting the importance of reading, meditating and studying the Word of God as a separate exercise in our walk with the Lord). Do you hear the Spirit of the Lord whispering in your ears, "Seek My Face..." Let us come and be still before the Lord and tell Him, "Your face, Lord I will seek."

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A call to prayer

I believe the Spirit of the Lord is sounding a trumpet call to prayer to His people all over the world. This is not a call relevant to Malaysia only but a call to nations across the globe. If you're reading this now, God is speaking to you in the place and country you're from. This is not just a call to prayer for a specific agenda initiated by man, be it in the political or socio-economic sphere. This is a time where God is birthing His plans and purposes in this kairos season through His praying bride. Oftentimes, we are motivated to pray for certain pressing situations, for e.g. an impending elections or the happening of a certain event around our lives, etc. - in which all these are valid reasons to pray and are not wrong in themselves. But there are times when our short-sightedness blurs our spiritual vision of God's plan and purposes in this hour. Putting all the events of what our natural eyes see aside, we should be still and enquire of the Lord of His plans and purposes for this hour in our lands - be it in Africa, America, Europe, Asia or any nations throughout all the continents of the world.

The Lord seeks for a company of His people who would wait before His Presence for His directives and be the vessels whom He can birth His Kingdom on earth - through prayer. Yes, through prayer. We would like to think of a thousand and one thing which we can do to bring forth His Kingdom on this earth but not prayer. When God desires to accomplish His work He will seek for a company of praying people. And now is the time where His eyes are seeking whom He can share and release His heart's desires, i.e. His heartbeat so that His desires shall be birthed into reality through the prayer of the saints. I am reminded of the account of a man named Simeon in Luke 2. Here was a man waiting, praying and believing that he would live to see the birth of the Father's desire - the promised Messiah in his lifetime and true enough, he lived not just to see but also to hold in his hands the Messiah and released a dynamic prophecy to Mary. Just like in the account of the creation of this world, when the Spirit of the Lord was hovering over the waters, once again the Spirit of the Lord is hovering over His people. There are many who have heard this call and responded in the secret place whilst there are some who have grown weary and the vision has become blurred. He is blowing a fresh wind to awaken His desires within His people now. Strength is being released for His vessels to align themselves for the birthing of kingdom purposes even in this hour. This is an initiative from His throne and He who has begun a work in us will bring the same unto completion in Christ Jesus.

The enemies of God's kingdom and His plans are tirelessly forming hindrances and oppositions in the form of distractions amongst the people of God. And distractions are what they truly are - distracting and steering our vision, our strength, our focus and our being away from that which is important - that which God desires to accomplish through our lives. Have we been distracted? How are we spending our time? Are we rightly dividing our time prioritizing kingdom business ahead of the rest? Are we being swayed by what the media tells us as the "breaking news of the hour"? Are we guilty of aimelessly jumping into the bandwagon of the latest spiritual fad in town? How we need to read and meditate afresh the familiar verse in Matthew 6:33 - But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

How do we respond to this call to prayer? It is a time to set apart time and place to pray. As led by the Spirit of God, gather with like-minded saints to pray and wait before the Lord. It's not business as usual. Perhaps, we should also discard our ritualistic forms of prayer when we approach God if there is no life in them. Just gather with the believers or come before His throne by yourself and be still. Ask for His light to shine in our hearts and begin to open our hearts and pour out our hearts before the our Merciful God and Father. A time to humble ourselves and call upon the Lord. A time to repent of our prayerlessness and other wicked ways as the Spirit of the Lord shines His light in our hearts. This is indeed the first step we can take as we choose to respond to the Spirit's wooing. We will look into other aspects of prayer in the coming days but for now, let's not delay responding to His divine call to prayer.

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Gilgal before Jericho

In God's divine wisdom, we will inevitably visit Gilgal in our journey with Him. This is a place where we will learn precious truths that will propel us to a deeper walk with Him and stepping into our destinies as it is the Spirit of the Lord who leads us to this sacred place called Gilgal. It is recorded in Joshua 5:3-9, the following account: -

3 So Joshua made flint knives for himself, and circumcised the sons of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.
4 And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: All the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way, after they had come out of Egypt.
5 For all the people who came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness, on the way as they came out of Egypt, had not been circumcised.
6 For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people who were men of war, who came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they did not obey the voice of the Lord--to whom the Lord swore that He would not show them the land which the Lord had sworn to their fathers that He would give us, "a land flowing with milk and honey."
7 Then Joshua circumcised their sons whom He raised up in their place; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way.
8 So it was, when they had finished circumcising all the people, that they stayed in their places in the camp till they were healed.
9 Then the Lord said to Joshua, "This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." Therefore the name of the place is called Gilgal to this day.

To understand the significance of this place, we have to look at the context and the background of this account when the Israelites were led to Gilgal. Just before this stop, this new generation of Israelites have witnessed a marvellous miracle of the parting of the Jordan river and they have crossed the river onto dry ground. They have witnessed a powerful manifestation of God's power which was at the same time, a terrifying news to their enemies who were occupying the Promised Land. In verse 1 of Joshua 5, we read that "Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the LORD had dried up the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over, their hearts melted in fear and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites." Aha! To the logical minds of the Israelites, this must be an opportune time for them to take advantage of their enemies who were resigned to their fears and discouragement. It would be perfect plan to execute a battleplan to conquer the Promised Land, after all God had seemed to help us by opening up the Jordan river.

However, on this last stop before the Israelites stepped into the Promised Land and conquer that which was promised to them and their forefathers, God had other plans. The Lord's instruction to Joshua: CIRCUMCISION first. Period.
"What?"
"Now?"
"Shouldn't we just proceed to conquer Jericho?"
"Lord, did I hear you correctly - circumcision now?"
"Are you sure, Lord?"
"Oh, we're all ready to conquer the land and march onto victory for your glory!"
Joshua had been with Moses in his ups and downs and he knew better to obey God than anyone else in the Israelites' camp. How much we have to learn and re-learn time and again that His ways are not our ways. What may appear to be foolishness to us is the wisdom of God. And our part is just to obey Him. On this auspicious occasion, the Israelites obeyed Joshua.

Yes, these are the times when we feel we are so ready to move on and progress with the Lord. We are brimming with confidence and enthusiasm. After undergoing a long arduous waiting period for His promises to come to pass in our lives - we relish the opportunity to conquer the world which is just right before our eyes! We may be thinking to ourselves that we have undergone many of the tests that the Lord has sent our way and we are keen to now see the fulfillment of His promises. We somehow feel that we have now 'qualified'..., but then, here comes the Lord saying, "Wait a minute, My child..."

The Lord desires to birth forth something so precious and beautiful in our lives, i.e. it is His desire to raise sons of God (with the likeness of His precious son, Christ Jesus) in this hour that He will work in us and through us and arrange circumstances in our lives so that we will understand the meaning of circumcision at Gilgal. We know today that in the New Testament, when we speak of circumcision, it is one of the heart and not a physical circumcision in which the Old Testament account was only a shadow of that which was to come. God has a goal in mind, He desires to roll away the reproach of Egypt away from us. We may be in the world but we are not of the world. To progress in our journey with the Lord and to fulfill the destinies that He has ordained for us, God wants to be sure that every element of the world is removed from our lives for indeed our citizenship is not of this world.

In 1 John, we are told that if the love of the world is in us, the love of the Father is not in our hearts. What then, is the love of the world but the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride of life. These are to be removed and cut-off from our lives. Just as Christ had undergone the three-fold temptations in the wilderness before stepping into his public ministry, what more, as His children are we to be led by His Spirit to be on such similar footsteps. God has to get rid of every influence, every taint and every trace of the world's system from our lives. Only then, can He say He has rolled away the reproach of the world from us. The circumcision of the heart is painful as it may also include a time of separation in order for the Egypt in us to be completely erased. In other words, it is a time of being set apart to be ready for His purposes to be birthed in our lives. Jesus was alone when He went through the wilderness. Today, many of His saints are also trodding along the path of loneliness. It is a season when the flint knive is used upon our hearts. And in such times, we are driven to our knees to spend much time with the Lord. When we have no one to talk to and no-one (including ourselves) could not understand what is going on in our lives, we have the Lord waiting to commune with us in sweet fellowship in the garden of prayer. Together with the painful process of separation, it is also a time of cleansing and purification where our vision and purpose is revived and clarified. As we travel through the wilderness, perhaps the vision that God has first birthed in our lives may have been contaminated by the dusts and dirt. And now is a good time for God to work in us to re-focus our vision, to cleanse us and to remove every bit of Egypt from our lives.

Secondly, this process of circumcision of the heart at Gilgal also marks the beginning of a process of healing within us. When the Lord literally removes the shame from our lives, He is also performing a healing work within us. With the shame, there is also the pain, the bitterness and the discouragement of yester-years. It is a time of confronting our past as we reflect on our journey to the day we reach Gilgal. God is assuring us that the past is gone and He is releasing the announcement of the dawn of a new season. In fact, in Joshua 4, the Israelites were commanded to take 12 stones and to erect a memorial at Gilgal after crossing Jordan. It is a reflection and remembrance of God's faithfulness and the sign of the end of a long, tiring season for the desert travellers. If we do not experience healing from the past, we are not able to enter into a new chapter with the Lord, just as Jesus said in the Gospels that we cannot put new wine into old wineskins. Take time to rest in His love and receive His healing as we pause at Gilgal.

And finally, it also means a time of vulnerability and death. The Israelites had to remain in their camps for the time being while the healing process takes place. If the enemies were to know the state of the these Israelites at that time and chose to war against the Israelites whilst they were recuperating in their camps, we would not have the opportunity to witness the fulfillment of God's promise to His people. Instead, the Lord God of Israel wanted His people to know that the God who watched over them neither sleeps nor slumber. It is the Lord's desire to bring them to a place of such dependence upon Him and knowing that it's all about Him and not their strengths or abilities. It is God who works in us to will and to do His perfect will and purposes in our lives. What a terrible to thing to fall into pride and the trap of robbing God's glory for we are told clearly in the Scriptures that pride comes before destruction. Therefore, God in His divine love and wisdom allow us to pause at Gilgal and know our true frames. We are but earthen vessels containing the precious eternal treasure of light within us. It speaks of crucifixion of self and our flesh so that His life may flow through us. God has to reveal to us our weaknesses first before He could show us His ability and discover the secret of doing all things through Him who strengthens us. The Apostle Paul discovered the secret when he spoke of not Paul who lived but Christ who lived in him. These are precious truths and yet painful at times as it is not a nice process to be left vulnerable, recuperating at our camps whilst waiting for God to complete His work. Our flesh does not revel in the revelation of its true state.

When we have submitted ourselves to God's circumcision at Gilgal, then we are ready to have our encounter with Him that will define the purpose and destiny of our lives. Moses encountered the God of fire which would be the distinguishing mark in his life as he led the Israelites out of Egypt. And now, after fulfilling God's instruction, the Lord met Joshua as the Commander of the army of the Lord. Joshua will be the one who will lead Israel into the land flowing with milk and honey. Fret not, for when we have co-operated with the Lord as He leads us to a season of circumcision of the heart at Gilgal, we will also be candidates for an encounter with the God of our destiny.

Are you in Gilgal today? Do not be discouraged nor dismayed. Reflect upon the goodness of God. Remember all His faithful deeds that He has performed in your life. Know that the Lord our God is such a Faithful Friend. Immerse yourself in His rivers of love and continue to wait upon Him for a new day has come.

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