Sunday 21 September 2008

protection and prophecy come true

written on 100908 at 5am (not in Singapore)

We were at dinner with a pastor at his house last night - home-cooked food of fried fish, fried chicken, stir-fry mixed vegetables and pork ribs soup. Nice.

Conversation was easy. He had worked in Singapore for a year, and his son is now working in Malaysia. His spoken English was clear, and we talked about life in Myanmar, Singapore and Malaysia. His wife had little spoken English, and i don't think she understood much English too.

He testified about God's protection during the cyclone:

He had strengthened the floor of his house with concrete a few weeks before the cyclone. We all agreed that was God's wisdom at work in him. If he had not done that, the house could have sustained more damage. As it was, only his kitchen roof had to be replaced. Also, his coconut tree did not fall... only the coconuts... :D

His neighbour's houses built with bamboo and wood was propped against his house up to a month as they could only afford to buy materials to build the materials after that time.

His church stood strong even though it bore the full onslaught of the winds being the first building in that area.

The community, including the unbelievers, were amazed.

It was like a miracle an
d testified to the goodness of the Lord!


Near the end of our visit, his wife (through his translation) testified that a year before (in August 2007), when we were at his place for the first time, i had prayed and prophesied over her regarding her comforting other women. I had forgotten about the details of this prophecy. She shared that that was exactly what she had been doing in the past year. Praise God!

God's anointing to prophesy came on me again. Her hunger for the Word and the Presence of the Lord was very intense. I felt that i had to hold her hand and pray for her:
  • she will impact spiritual atmospheres in households and in the church
  • continued prayers for her son with the help of the Holy Spirit so that he will know the will of God
  • stepping up into a higher place
This last one was prophesied by my hubby.

We prayed for pastor as well, for God's plans and purposes to be fulfilled in his life and in his church.

It was a God-appointed visit.

8 testimonies from seminar participants

On the last day of the seminar which was on grace and holiness, there were eight participants who came up to share their testimonies. Some of them had a preaching anointing! They got really excited about the Word of God and a few started preaching... :D

3rd year bible school student:

I am really encouraged by the following scriptures: Psalm 103:3 and 1 Peter 2:24. When i read this, i received healing. I was a little sick but now i am healed.
I was encouraged by Colossians 1: 11 too. I was weak but now i am strengthened. I learn how to rejoice in the Lord.
I thank God for the privilege of sharing my testimony and also for attending this seminar.

a church planter with 6 children based outside of the city:
I used to force my church members to read the bible when they became believers but now i want to show them they wonderful promises in the Bible so that they become excited to read His Word.
I also realise that we need God's favour and grace to minister, without which we cannot fulfill God's work.
I also learnt that patience is needed to wait for His plan. I am encouraged not to give up but to continue waiting on the Lord.

another church planter
i was born again in 1979, and at first i enjoyed reading the word of God. At that time I was a school teacher. However, for about a period of 10 years, i did not know God's way. I am so glad that we can know God's way as shown in 1 Timothy 2:4. God showed me that He wanted me to serve Him.
At this seminar, i learnt that grace is not just for salvation but for all aspects of life.
And just like a husband and wife do things for each other because you love each other, we respond and do things because we love God.
Let us focus on God's Grace and respond to His Grace. I am so encouraged by what i learnt about His Grace.

yet another church planter
At this seminar, i understand about the ministry gifts and serving gifts and spiritual gifts which i never understood before. I started an orphanage in 2007, but was a little confused about God's gifts and callings. There was some difficulty in obtaining food for the children. Last year, i also got into debt because i borrowed some money. God mercifully brought me through, and now i returned the money in full. I will continue to depend on His grace which is sufficient for me.

a bible school student
we are often told to have patience, but most of us fail. I have learnt to be patient with the Grace of God and not with my own strength. Patience is the key to fulfilling God's plan and purpose of our lives. If we give up, we will miss His timing and not receive His promise

bible school instructor
I have learnt so much about His grace. This seminar help me understand that we can serve the Lord with the grace that He gives.

pastor of a small church
i am encouraged by this reminder that we can stand and live because of His grace. As a pastor i often encourage my members to read the Word and obey, but they don't do that for long. So now i will aske them to depend on God's grace.
I learnt about patience in Galatians - that our inner being needs to be strengthened with His grace so that we can continue with His work.
I was encouraged that Abraham waited 25 years for Isaac; Moses waited 40 years in the desert; Christ Himself waited till He was 30. I have only been at my church for 3 years, and i become impatient with some of my members and with how things are going. I will continue in His strength and grace from now on, and not depend on my own flesh.

oldest participant at seminar
i learnt that satan is under our feet and that he is already defeated, so i can become bold. Even in my old age, i look forward to learning His word. My youth is renewed because of the life and love contained in the Word of God.

stepping out in faith

Written at 11am on 090908 (not in Singapore)

It struck me that the people in this nation are willing to take on challenges like looking after orphans even when they cannot afford to buy a house. Instead they had lived in a tiny rented house for many months before the necessary financial resources came in for them to build the orphanage.

They did not wait to build the orphanage first, then advertise for orphans. The threshhold to step out in faith is much lower, thus their faith in God is all the greater. They trust God every step of the way - to provide food every day, to supply land and shelter - even as they choose to obey God.

It struck me that in Singapore, many of us might be a little too hesitant to step out in faith. I'm not talking about being ahead of God. I'm talking about the fact that when God has already put the plan or vision in our hearts, yet we hesitate because everything must be perfect first. Finances have to come in first. We must know what to do first, and have everything at our fingertips before stepping out in faith.

If so, where is the need for faith?

Faith is real.

Faith casts the net at the Word of Jesus, and catches so much fish that the nets were full.

Faith walks on water at the Word of Jesus, focusing only on the Master, and not the circumstance.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for - so it's substantial, solid even though what we believe for has not happened.

Faith is the evidence of things not seen - there's proof even though we can't see it yet.

Faith is simply a obedient response to His Word!

Our God is mighty to provide and fulfill the plans He put in our hearts. I want to be willing and obedient, quick to obey Him when He speaks to us.

Tuesday 16 September 2008

Grace

Saving grace quickens (makes alive) our spirit.
Sanctifying grace transforms our spirit.
Standing grace strengthens our spirit.
Serving grace empowers our spirit.

We access grace by faith in God and His promises in Jesus.

We are no longer sinners saved by grace, but saints empowered by His grace!

YAY!!

Monday 15 September 2008

focus

With just two meals a day, which consist of mainly rice with beans and perhaps some vegetables, the believers (as well as their non-believing counterparts) in the city i just visited consider a meat dish a luxury to be had just once a month.

Their focus, however, is to reach out and bless others. So as poor as they are, they reach out to orphans.

I just met a 2 year old boy in an orphanage whose parents were killed in the recent cyclone which ravaged the delta areas. The youngest in that orphanage which housed 19 children, the oldest of which was 14 years old, he looked contented and so so cute. Some of them had lost a parent, and were sent there because the family could not afford to support so many siblings. Some of them lost both parents to malaria or cholera! In this day and age, you would think that no one died of those anymore. But they have no medicines or vaccinations.

The children looked after one another - the older ones having more responsibilities - the pastor said.

I prayed for them, and they sat quietly, with their eyes closed, listening to the prayer being translated for them. I shook their hands - all 19 of them. i wished i had hugged them instead. Then i would have cried, and that would not have helped. So shaking hands was a safer choice.

I asked the Lord to reveal His plan to them, that they will experience and encounter His love in a very real way, more than making up for what they had lost. The Bible says the Lord looks out for those who are fatherless.

Another full time bible school instructor and assistant pastor stumbled into starting an orphanage just before he was married. Together with his wife, and brother and sister in law, he now takes care of 11 orphans from various states of his country. He was sent an orphan - a relative of his. He himself had hardly much, and yet he was willing to take on the challenge. He testified how the Lord provided food, and housing and land. In just over a year, he now has 11 orphans to take care of.

I am spurred, stirred by what i have observed.

What do we want to focus on?
what we don't have
or
what we can do with what we have.

And we have MUCH in CHRIST, so that we no longer focus on what we don't have without Him, or who we were before we were born again.

In fact, in reality and spiritually speaking, the me that was without Christ no longer exists, replaced by the me IN CHRIST.

As such, i will bear much fruit, and fruit that remain!!

There is much to be done: the harvest is plentiful and ready for the harvesting!

Let's focus on the

Sunday 14 September 2008

Back in Singapore!

It's good to be back and yet i so thoroughly enjoyed myself i could have stayed there longer. We were away 13 days. We taught at 2 bible schools there. Hubby preached at a church service, and we also did a day seminar at a church.

This was one of our longer trips. The next time we go, perhaps we will stay a month. More can be done, and i believe we have sufficient places to teach at. We can even go outside of the capital city to other places.

It is really in our hearts to teach bible school students, especially those who are called to plant churches, evangelise, etc, as they would bring the Word that they learnt to their churches in different places which we can't go to. They were just so hungry for the Word.

We had a few of them give testimonies on the last day of the 2nd week. They were impacted by the Word of God and 7 received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, including a faculty member.
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