A Father's Blessing (The passing of John Paul Jackson)

John Paul Jackson went home to be with the Lord on February 18th, 2015. When we recorded 'The Mystery of the Father's Blessing' for season 2 of Dreams & Mysteries, there wasn't a dry eye in the studio after this segment. He was a wonderful father to his children, those in his ministry, and to the millions of other lives he has impacted. We appreciate your continued support of his ministry, and we encourage you to help us continue his legacy! [As extracted from YouTube]

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Letter from Corrie to us today...

This is a powerful, relevant and prophetic letter written to us, Christians today.

Take time to read it, ponder over it, share it and let it be a part of your daily living.

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"The world is deathly ill. It is dying. The Great Physician has already signed the death certificate. Yet there is still a great work for Christians to do. They are to be streams of living water, channels of mercy to those who are still in the world. It is possible for them to do this because they are overcomers.

Christians are ambassadors for Christ. They are representatives from Heaven to this dying world. And because of our presence here, things will change.

My sister, Betsy, and I were in the Nazi concentration camp at Ravensbruck because we committed the crime of loving Jews. Seven hundred of us from Holland, France, Russia, Poland and Belgium were herded into a room built for two hundred. As far as I knew, Betsy and I were the only two representatives of Heaven in that room.

We may have been the Lord's only representatives in that place of hatred, yet because of our presence there, things changed. Jesus said, "In the world you shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." We too, are to be overcomers – bringing the light of Jesus into a world filled with darkness and hate.

Sometimes I get frightened as I read the Bible, and as I look in this world and see all of the tribulation and persecution promised by the Bible coming true. Now I can tell you, though, if you too are afraid, that I have just read the last pages. I can now come to shouting "Hallelujah! Hallelujah!" for I have found where it is written that Jesus said,
"He that overcometh shall inherit all things
and I will be His God,
and he shall be My son."
This is the future and hope of this world. Not that the world will survive – but that we shall be overcomers in the midst of a dying world.

Betsy and I, in the concentration camp, prayed that God would heal Betsy who was so weak and sick.

"Yes, the Lord will heal me,", Betsy said with confidence.

She died the next day and I could not understand it. They laid her thin body on the concrete floor along with all the other corpses of the women who died that day.

It was hard for me to understand, to believe that God had a purpose for all that. Yet because of Betsy's death, today I am traveling all over the world telling people about Jesus.

There are some among us teaching there will be no tribulation that the Christians will be able to escape all this. These are the false teachers that Jesus was warning us to expect in the latter days. Most of them have little knowledge of what is already going on across the world. I have been in countries where the saints are already suffering terrible persecution.

In China, the Christians were told, " Don't worry, before the tribulation comes you will be translated- raptured."

Then came a terrible persecution. Millions of Christians were tortued to death. Later, I heard a Bishop from China say, sadly,

"We have failed.. We should have made the people strong for persecution, rather than telling them Jesus would come first. Tell the people to be strong in times of persecution, how to stand when the tribulation comes, to stand and not faint."

I feel I have a divine mandate to go and tell the people of this world that it is possible to be strong in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are in training for the tribulation, but more than sixty percent of the Body of Christ across the world has already entered into the tribulation. There is no way to escape it. We are next.

Since I have already gone through prison for Jesus' sake, and since I met the Bishop in China, now every time I read a good Bible text I think, "Hey, I can use that in the time of tribulation." Then I write it down and learn it by heart.

When I was in the concentration camp, a camp where only twenty percent of the women came out alive, we tried to cheer each other up by saying, "Nothing could be any worse than today." But we would find the next day was even worse. During this time a Bible verse that I had committed to memory gave me great hope and joy.

"If you be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of the glory and of God resteth upon you; on their part evil is spoken of, but on your part He is glorified." I Peter 4:14"

I found myself saying, "Hallelujah! Because I am suffering, Jesus is glorified!"

In America, the churches sing, "Let the congregation escape tribulation", but in China and Africa the tribulation has already arrived. This last year alone more than two hundred thousand Christians were martyred in Africa. Now things like that never get into the newspapers because they cause bad political relations. But I know. I have been there. We need to think about that when we sit down in our nice houses with our nice clothes to eat our steak dinners. Many, many members of the Body of Christ are being tortured to death at this very moment, yet we continue right on as though we are all going to escape the tribulation.

Several years ago I was in Africa in a nation where a new government had come into power. The first night I was there some of the Christians were commanded to come to the police station to register. When they arrived they were arrested and that same night they were executed. The next day the same thing happened with other Christians. The third day it was the same. All the Christians in the district were being systematically murdered.

The fourth day I was to speak in a little church. The people came, but they were filled with fear and tension. All during the service they were looking at each other, their eyes asking, "Will this one I am sitting beside be the next one killed? Will I be the next one?"

The room was hot and stuffy with insects that came through the screenless windows and swirled around the naked bulbs over the bare wooden benches. I told them a story out of my childhood.

"When I was a little girl, I said, I went to my father and said,
"Daddy, I am afraid that I will never be strong enough to be a martyr for Jesus Christ."
"Tell me," said Father,
"When you take a train trip to Amsterdam, when do I give you the money for the ticket?"
"Three weeks before?"
"No Daddy, you give me the money for the ticket just before we get on the train."
"That's is right," my father said,"and so it is with God's strength."
"Our Father in heaven knows when you need the strength to be a martyr for Jesus Christ."
"He will supply all you need just in time."

My African friends were nodding and smiling.
Suddenly a spirit of joy descended upon that church and the people began singing, " In the sweet, by and by,
we shall meet on that beautiful shore."

Later that week, half the congregation of that church was executed.

I heard later that the other half was killed some months ago.

But I must tell you something. I was so happy that the Lord used me to encourage these people, for unlike many of their leaders, I had the word of God. I had been to the Bible and discovered that Jesus said He had not only overcome the world, but to all those who remained faithful to the end, He would give a crown of life.

How can we get ready for the persecution?

First we need to feed on the Word of God, digest it, make it a part of our being. This will mean disciplined Bible study each day as we not only memorize long passages of scripture, but put the principles to work in our lives. Next we need to develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Not just the Jesus of yesterday, the Jesus of History, but the life-changing Jesus of today who is still alive and sitting at the right hand of God.

We must be filled with the Holy Spirit. This is no optional command of the Bible, it is absolutely necessary. Those earthly disciples could never have stood up under the persecution of the Jews and Romans had they not waited for Pentecost. Each of us needs our own personal Pentecost, the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We will never be able to stand in the tribulation without it.

In the coming persecution we must be ready to help each other and encourage each other.

But we must not wait until the tribulation comes before starting. The fruit of the Spirit should be the dominant force of every Christian's life. Many are fearful of the coming tribulation, they want to run. I, too, am a little bit afraid when I think that after all my eighty years, including the horrible Nazi concentration camp, that I might have to go through the tribulation also. But then I read the Bible and I am glad.

When I am weak, then I shall be strong, the Bible says. Betsy and I were prisoners for the Lord, we were so weak, but we got power because the Holy Spirit was on us. That mighty inner strengthening of the Holy Spirit helped us through. No, you will not be strong in yourself when the tribulation comes. Rather, you will be strong in the power of Him who will not forsake you. For seventy-six years I have known the Lord Jesus and not once has He ever left me, or let me down.

"Though He shall slay me, yet will I trust Him." Job 13:15 for I know that to all who overcome, He shall give the crown of life. Hallelujah!"

- Corrie Ten Boom - 1974

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For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God

This is a beautiful verse that speaks about our relationship with God. It speaks more about our relationship with Him than about receiving guidance from God.

We like to quote this verse each time we speak of following the leading of God.

Sadly, it says in this verse (Romans 8:14) that "for as many as are led..." because the reality is that not many are led by the Spirit of God.

Admittedly, all born-again believers desire to be led by the Spirit of God. Who doesn't? However, it takes more than a casual interest from us to actually be included in the "for as many as are led..." category. As we ponder over this verse let us pray that the Holy Spirit will speak to us and draw us into a deeper reality and relationship with Christ Jesus.

Our natural minds think very differently from the ways of God. This is why our minds need to be renewed from the day we are born again into the kingdom of God. Even though our spirits are now made alive unto God, our old mindsets and thought patterns remain with us. Hence, oftentimes, in our pursuit of following God, we tend to align our thinking according to the old self. One example is in the area of being led by God. We would like to think that to be led by God would mean following a list of instructions. When we pray "Lord, lead me!" what we actually mean is "Lord, please show me Step 1, Step 2... on this... and that... " And we live in cycles of doubt and despair that God has not revealed His will to us or that He has not heard our prayers.

When we take a closer look at the life of Abraham, we do not see that God showed him all the steps he were to take after receiving the call of God to leave his hometown. More often than not, God's revelation comes to us in the form of pieces of puzzle. And how could we decipher His will when all we hold in our hands is but a piece of puzzle out of the total of 700 pieces which will ultimately be fitted together to form a beautiful picture? What is of utmost importance in our natural minds is to lay hold of the next piece of the puzzle but God's desire is for us to know Him that we may learn of His faithfulness. The One who holds the balance of 699 pieces of puzzle longs to reveal Himself to us more than just giving us a list of steps for us to fulfill His will.

In God's perspective, "these are sons of God" is His goal. One who is led by the Spirit of God knows God as His Abba Father. The converse is also true. If we begin to know God experientially, we will see that we are beginning to be led by His Spirit. Do we know Him as our Father? What kind of a Father God do we have? Do we seek to know His heart? In fact, we always tend to think that the ten commandments are but an arduous list of do's and don'ts. However if we were to look beyond the surface of these commandments, we would see the Father heart of God. We often fail to realize that we are given the Scriptures so that we may know Him, the Word of God made flesh, and not just to merely know the written word. Knowing God is a key to be led by the Spirit of God.

At the same time, we should also be aware that to be led by the Spirit of God is not an "answer-focused" pursuit. We are after the Person and not just the answers for our questions. Most of the time, we are desperate to hear a word from the Lord just for the sake of knowing the answer to our problem or to know a solution to our predicament. However, let us be reminded that the verse beautifully connects the leading of the Spirit of God with the sonship of God. As we begin to understand the ways of God and know His nature, we are in the process of maturity to be His sons and not just remain as little children. And naturally, we are led by His Spirit to be at the right place at the right time. However, when we are always focused to seek the answer or the solution, we will miss the Person and the relationship He offers and consequently may miss His leading altogether.

When we are being led by the Spirit of God, it speaks of us following a Person, the Spirit of God. We are not following a set of religious rules set by man for when we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, we are free from the bondage of religious spirits. Yes, we need teachings and certainly doctrines are beneficial but we cannot be bound by a set of rules or laws at the expense of following the fresh leading of the Holy Spirit. It's easy for us to logically determine that if A+B=C then C-B=A. Unfortunately, most of the time, God's ways are not boud by such equations because God's ways are established in the supernatural laws of love, peace and joy which are always consistent with His character, not a set of man-made laws. The more we follow His character we begin to see His purposes unfold in our lives. One way of following Christ is to be found in His Presence. To be led by the Spirit of God speaks of being with God Himself. How can we hear, how can we see if we are not in His Presence?

Lastly, most Christians would like to think that they are led by the Holy Spirit not knowing that it could be the "self" or the "flesh" that is driving them. We would rather follow our own natural impulses than being led by the Holy Spirit when it involves something that would cause inconvenience to our flesh. This is because when we want to be led by the Spirit of God, our convenience is not His priority. We read in the Matthew 4 that Jesus was led by the Spirit of God into the wilderness. And we know the rest of the story where our Lord Jesus emerged victorious after encountering the adversary and its venomous temptations. This is the most tricky part. We are told in Jeremiah that our heart is deceitful and we cannot deny that. When we "see that the fruit is pleasant to the eyes and the tree is good for food" immediately we would con ourselves into thinking this must be His will for me! What then is a sure way to avoid such self deception?

The answer is illustrated in the account of a father and a son at Mount Moriah. Isaac was bound and placed on the altar. He yielded his life into his father's hands. When we surrender ourselves and all our preconceived ideas and our strong will and place ourselves on the altar, we are the sons of God. Christ Himself, the Son of God laid down His life on the cross for us and accomplished the Father's will in His life. Do we want to be led by the Spirit of God? Do we desire to fulfill His will and purposes in our lives? God is also calling us to surrender ourselves fully to Him. To be led by the Spirit of God is to live a surrenderred life (not my will but yours be done) and to be His bondservant.

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Last Words of Wade Taylor

A friend of God, Wade Taylor had passed on into Glory on February 29th, 2012. I am one of the multitudes of lives who have been touched by the writings of this humble man of God. If you have never read any of his articles or books, I encourage you to check out wadetaylor.org (the photo on the left is taken from the site) and I am certain you will find spiritual treasures that will enhance your walk with God.

I strongly believe there is a prophetic message in the last email which was sent out by Wade on February 9th, 2012 which is reproduced below.

A Living Word for Your Spirit

God created all that was created in "six days" and on the "seventh day," He rested. Each of these days was an indeterminate period of time in which a particular aspect of creation was accomplished.

Peter limited these days to specific time periods by saying, "a day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as a day."

Of this time, "six days" relates to man's time, and the "seventh day," to the Millennial Kingdom of God. The first four, "thousand year days" relate to the Old Testament, and the next two, "thousand year days," to the Church Age.

This time (six days) came to an end in the year 2000, and the time of transition into the Millennial Kingdom of God (seventh day) began.

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me... He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Revelation 3:20, 22

This "door" is at the end of the Church Age and is at the point of transition from the Church Age into the Millennial Kingdom Age. This is a conditional promise to those who have a "hearing ear."

The Apostle John was transported from his time, to the end of the Church Age, and he heard the voice of the Lord, knocking.

"After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up here, and I will show you things which must be hereafter." Revelation 4:1

It is very important to notice that this door opened only when John heard the voice of the Lord knocking, and responded (After this I looked). The result of a right response is being able to hear "things which must be hereafter." Jesus is yet knocking on the door of our temple, seeking those who will hear and respond. Thus, our ability to hear spiritually is very important.

When Jesus was twelve years old, He went into the temple of His day and time, and astounded all those who heard Him (Luke 2:42-47). When Jesus becomes twelve years old in His corporate body, He will again come into the temple. This time, He will come within the temple that we have become.

"Know you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" I Corinthians 3:16

During this year, 2012, when Jesus becomes twelve years old in His corporate body, He will begin to come within His present day temple (us).

"When He shall come to be glorified in His saints...." II Thessalonians 1:10

All that Jesus did in a single body, during His first coming, He will again do through a corporate body, in the progression of His second coming.

The end-time visitation of our Lord is about to begin, as the final judgments have been delayed.

"Arise, shine; for your light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon you, and His glory shall be seen upon you. And the Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising." Isaiah 60:1-2

In the Old Testament, the glory came "upon" In the New Testament, the glory comes "within"

May each of us who desire our Lord's best, separate ourselves from all that could hinder our hearing the Lord's knock upon our spirit.

If we respond, as John responded, Jesus will come within our "temple" to affect the world of our day and time, beyond anything that has ever been seen.

And the Gentiles (unsaved) shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

The greatest visitation ever is about to begin.

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Change of Garments for the New Season

What does it mean to be in a New Season?
There are times when we fail to fully appreciate the meaning of so-called prophetic jargons. A very important prophetic phrase that we have been hearing is the dawn of "a new season". Undoubtedly, an excitement rises within us each time we hear that we are in a new season. However, to fully appreciate the significance of this prophetic declaration, we should ask ourselves, "What does it mean for me to be in a New Season?"

For different individuals, the New Season is being understood and perceived differently. Essentially, the prophetic thrust is that a change is taking place. In this post, we are going to look at one significant change that must first take place which in turn will help us appreciate the full impact of the prophetic declaration of a New Season over our lives.

New Season, New Garments. New Wineskins for New Wine.
In the natural world, we change garments with the change of seasons. To illustrate, we cannot be wearing winter clothings during spring and vice versa. Just as in the natural realm, the same is applicable in the spiritual realm. Hence, it is imperative that we catch this truth for us to fully appropriate what God is doing in our lives, families, ministries and nations. We are to put away the garments of the past season and to be ready to put on the appropriate garments for the New Season.

The parable of the wineskins aptly paints the picture of preparing for the New Season (new wine): -

Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved (Matthew 9:17)

And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins (Mark 2:22)

And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. (Luke 5:37-38)

Just as it is necessary to pour new wine into new wineskins, it is vital for us to remove the old garments and to put on new garments as we step into the New Season that God has ordained for us.

Joseph's Life, Our Story
This truth is beautifully exemplified in the journey of Joseph rising to his God-given destiny. In Joseph's younger days, when he was given the multicolored coat, it marked a new phase (season) in his life where he was looked upon as one who received special favor and attention of his earthly father. The next season of his life unfolded as this first garment was forcefully removed by his brothers. Against his will, Joseph was sold as a slave to Potiphar and we can see that after the multicolored coat was removed, he was then dressed in only a slave's garments.

Subsequently, we witness the next transition in his life as his Heavenly Father's favor upon his life quickly promoted him to be the overseer of Potiphar's house - obviously, now in a new set of garments fit for his newly promoted position. It did not take long for him to enter into the next divinely ordained phase of his life. Yes, it has to do with his garments again. With a little unexpected twist in his lifestory this time around, he inadvertently left his garments in the hands of Potiphar's wife when being pursued by the temptress. And a new set of garments await him - the prisoner's garments!

Joseph entered into different seasons in his life each time he changed his garments, whether willingly or against his choice. Finally, he entered into his divine destiny when Pharoah clothed him with the garments of fine linen along with a signet ring and golden chain.

The Word of the Lord tested Joseph
We read in Psalm 105:19 which says that "Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him." The whole journey of going through different phases and seasons in his life was described as "the word of the Lord tested him." Each time he passed the test, a new garment awaits him. Unlike how our natural minds would understand, it was not just promotions all the way - it included both promotions and demotions - from a natural perspective. But from a spiritual viewpoint, he was nearest to his destiny, especially when he was at the lowest point from a human perspective - confined in a prison and his only lifeline, the Pharoah's chief butler forgotten about him altogether.

From a spiritual perspective, we are now in God's ordained New Season, both individually and corporately. Circumstances are taking shape in the natural realm as this New Season materializes in our lives and the world around us. Some of us may have experienced a forceful removal of our garments (against our will) perhaps in the recent months or years. Take heart, it is a necessary transition for us to be rightly positioned so that we can be clothed with the new garments for the New Season. On the other hand, there may be others who have been looking forward to a promotion but somewhat experienced a demotion. The Spirit of the Lord is saying to you to be strong and take courage. You are on your way to your God-given destiny. There is also another group of people who have been longing to step into their God-given destinies for their lives and had in one way or another been tested by the word of the Lord - the word of the Lord for you is to get ready to step into the Kairos moment when you will be summoned to take your position and be clothed with the garments reserved for you.

"Garments"
Having seen the importance of the change of garments for the New Season, let us take a brief look at the spiritual meanings of "garments" in the context of this post. Firstly, "garments" speaks about our mindsets. We are exhorted to renew our minds. Each time we put off the old garments and replace them with new ones, we put away wrong mindsets and allow kingdom truths to be established in our minds. The Bible also teaches us that the spiritual battlefield is in our minds. Therefore, we are led into different phases in our lives as God's word tests us, refines us and renews our minds. Secondly, "garments" also speak about divine enablement. We are to be clothed with the power of the Holy Spirit for each new assignment in lives and also for daily living. This speaks about receiving the mantles that have been assigned for us. We can be receiving different mantles for different assignments in our lives or specific mantles for the divine calling and destinies in our lives.

A third understanding of the word "garments" includes a fresh revelation of Jesus. The Scriptures talk about the saints being clothed in garments of salvation and righteousness and we know that Christ is indeed our righteousness and our salvation. Each time we receive a fresh revelation and a fresh understanding of Jesus, His attributes and His nature, we receive new garments in our walk with God. Fourthly, "garments" also speaks of position and identity. It is imperative for us to step into the spiritual position and identity that God has prepared for us for each phase of our lives.

Joseph's Secret
Joseph's secret of triumphing in each season of his life leading to the day he stepped into his God-given destiny was the recurrent theme that "the Lord was with Joseph..." Let's get into the place where God is pleased to be with us all the time. This is called practising the Manifest Presence of God. This is the key to us entering to the season God has divinely ordained for us.

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Prophetic Insights for 2012

Indeed, much has been said about the New Year 2012 which we have just crossed over and entered into. With the passing of each year, we are to remember and prepare for our Lord Jesus Christ's second coming. Yes, He will come again and He will come again soon.

In this post, I will briefly share some of the things that I believe the Lord has shown me concerning the year 2012. I pray that the Holy Spirit will quicken His Word and speak His rhema Word to us personally that we may align and rightly position ourselves before God this year and to see its fulfillment in our lives.

1. Authority
I saw in a vision, a pair of hands holding something that looks like a necklace with a key hanging on the necklace. "Key" speaks of authority and I believe the Lord is bestowing an increase of His authority for His bride this year. When the necklace is held by the pair of hands, a heart-shape is formed. The use and release of His authority is linked to the divine revelation of His love and our walking in His love - love for God and our neighbours. This also involves a life of obedience (and repentance) on our part.

2. Blessings
This is a year where God will pour out His tremendous blessings upon His bride. We will see the fulfillment of the promises of His blessings that He has given us in the past. Expect great measures of His blessings - blessings that will not add sorrow to our lives but divine blessings to empower us to do what He has called us to do.

3. Revival
This year, may will be a part of God's move amongst His people. Just as on the day of Pentecost, there will be an outpouring of God's Spirit and love [suddenly] in the midst of His hungry and seeking bride. It is a time to re-dig the wells of intimacy and renewal in our personal lives and ministries. How much do we treasure the Lord above all else?

4. Divine re-connection
Relationships that have been disrupted in the past through misunderstandings [or any other reasons] will experience reconciliation and reconnection this year. The key is not to rely on our own understanding (what we know based on our past experiences or our own abilities) or man's limited advice. As we step into God's calling for our lives (what He has called us to do and seeing who we are in Him), broken relationships will be mended through the work of the Holy Spirit.

5. No more bread of sorrow
There will be no more eating the bread of sorrow. There is fresh manna every day for us - fresh supply of His provision and fresh supply of revelation. The old is gone, the new has come. It's not a time to dwell in the past but to arise and partake of God's richest provisions - His righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost!

6. Expansion
Many will also experience an expansion (larger boundaries) in their lives and ministries. Our part is to remove the old boundaries (and limitations) and we will see God's grace at work in our lives extending our boundaries. Get ready to expand the capacity of our hearts and our role is to maintain purity of hearts.

7. Abundance
John 10:10 - The thief comes only to steal. kill and destroy but Jesus comes to give life and life abundantly. This verse is quickened to me on New Year's day. I believe that this is a season of abundance and restoration for His bride. What the enemy has stolen, we declare 7-fold return this year. This divine work of restoration is connected to the theme of "Jubilee" from the Scriptures. We declare "Jubilee" over every area of our lives!

Prayer: -

Father, words are not adequate to express our gratitude for Your love and faithfulness to us in the year 2011. You were with us all through the ups and downs. May we love You and know You more each day of 2012. May Your glory be revealed more and more through Your bride. Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. All glory and praise to you forever and ever. Amen.

“Oh that in 2012, you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!”

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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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