don't cry and get up; join the right procession

Pastor's message last Sunday was very encouraging. It was based on the following scripture passage, and she presented truths i never saw before though i had read this passage countless times.

Luke 7:11-17 (NIV)
11Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. 12As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. 13When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, "Don't cry." 14Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" 15The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. 16They were all filled with awe and praised God. "A great prophet has appeared among us," they said. "God has come to help his people." 17This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.

She shared that the reason Jesus could say "don't cry" was because He had the power to say "get up". His consolation was not empty words. His compassion for the widow and empathy with her situation was supported by power, even power to resurrect the dead.

Pastor also highlighted the two processions coming from opposite directions: one led by Jesus who is the way, the truth and the life; the other contained death and sorrow. She encouraged us to get in the right procession with Jesus no matter what situation we are in, and God can speak into our situation hope and life. God indeed has come to help His people. He gave the world His only begotten Son to prove that very fact.

She gave a call to 3 groups of people to come to Him: those who do not know Jesus, those who have gone far from Him, and those who want more of God. We have hope in the Lord just like the widow who had seemingly lost her everything with the deaths of her husband and then her son, till God, through Jesus, spoke into her situation with compassion and power, raising her son to life, thus transforming her life entirely!

Even for those whose dreams and hopes have died, the Lord is giving them new lease of life and revitalised hope!

via dolorosa

It is tremendous how this video was brought to my attention.

First the preacher mentioned the song "via dolorosa" sung by Sandi Patti with clips from the Passion in his sermon 2 sundays ago. Then a friend of mine who heard the same sermon sent 2 videos (similar version) through facebook. Then last Sunday, the video clip that you can enjoy here was played in church, and because many people requested for it, the person in charge sent the url. I finally managed to upload it to my blog. :D

Thank You Father for your Son Jesus empowered by the Holy Spirit to accomplish what He was tasked to in order that i can have a living and vital and beautiful relationship with you! I am so grateful.

a precious lesson

I learnt a precious lesson yesterday when someone shared a few experiences in the spirit realm regarding a brief worship session i led a few days ago - just one song, "Hallelujah" in about 5 minutes at the end of a teaching session on prayer and having the students to pray.

It was an anointed song with just one word, Hallelujah repeated 4 times. We sang that twice, then changed the words to Lord We Love You, and then sang in the spirit (in tongues and in English, with some singing new tunes and words). When i requested a switch to singing in the spirit, there was a slight technical glitch as the keyboardist fumbled slightly as he was following the prayer leader instead of me, and there were some subtle chord clashes for a brief moment between the guitarist and keyboardist as they attempted to keep .in sync. I think few people noticed, as they were focused on the presence of God. But the team knew. We sang Hallelujah one more time requested by the prayer leader, and then ended. On the whole, the presence of the Lord was strong and sweet.

Whilst the song was being sung, one of the students was kneeling in worship and receiving from an angel who was pouring forth God's grace. She also heard this in her spirit that she was to receive the call of the Lord to teach and preach. As soon as the song ended, the angel had completed the pouring. Another student shared that she saw 2 angels, one each beside 2 different individuals in the room. Another student also saw angels in the room. One other student believed she heard angels singing as we were worshiping.

These experiences took place in just 5 minutes: angels were present and the Lord was ministering to at least 4 students out of the 70 people in the room. There may be more testimonies we have not heard.

Though there was a slight technical glitch which threw the team off a very brief while, we were still being used of the Lord to bring about His glory and anointing in the room. You can also say that the Lord ministered in spite of us. He's just so good!

The lesson i learnt is that i should never limit the Lord. He ministers in the midst of glitches. I should not let my desire for excellence overshadow spiritual impartation and how He ministers. I should not focus on the practical and technical aspects to the extent of missing His goodness and glory and presence as we worship. For we know very well, we worship in spirit and in truth, and music merely enhances.

Even as we improve in our skill as musicians, and increase in the grace the Lord pours forth to accomplish what He has gifted us to do, and also grow in our sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit, God is using us. It is a process, and in the midst of this process, people are still being blessed mightily.

We CANNOT and MUST NOT limit Him. He is the ONE we worship and adore, the ONE we focus on, NEVER the music, nor the skill, nor the gift.

It was a mere 5 minutes, but when people are yielded and in expectancy, they receive what the Lord intends them to receive.

Hallelujah! We love you Lord!

divine wisdom

i was praying about a situation early one morning earlier this week, and the Holy Spirit reminded me of this passage so i got up to refer to it:

James 3:13-18 (AMP)

13Who is there among you who is wise and intelligent? Then let him by his noble living show forth his [good] works with the [unobtrusive] humility [which is the proper attribute] of true wisdom.

14But if you have bitter jealousy (envy) and contention (rivalry, selfish ambition) in your hearts, do not pride yourselves on it and thus be in defiance of and false to the Truth.

15This [superficial] wisdom is not such as comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual (animal), even devilish (demoniacal).

16For wherever there is jealousy (envy) and contention (rivalry and selfish ambition), there will also be confusion (unrest, disharmony, rebellion) and all sorts of evil and vile practices.

17But the wisdom from above is first of all pure (undefiled); then it is peace-loving, courteous (considerate, gentle). [It is willing to] yield to reason, full of compassion and good fruits; it is wholehearted and straightforward, impartial and unfeigned (free from doubts, wavering, and insincerity).

18And the harvest of righteousness (of conformity to God's will in thought and deed) is [the fruit of the seed] sown in peace by those who work for and make peace [in themselves and in others, that peace which means concord, agreement, and harmony between individuals, with undisturbedness, in a peaceful mind free from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts].

There is a difference between divine wisdom and wisdom that is earthly, unspiritual and even of the devil which results in conflict, selfish ambition, disorder and EVIL.

It was such an assurance to me that when God's kind of wisdom results in concord, agreement and harmony with peace. I learnt that i don't have to, or more accurately, cannot and should not, over-react or be angry, but display the wisdom given by God (see James 1:5-8* which says God gives me wisdom when i ask for it) in meekness (used in NKJV**) or humility (used in NIV***) .

His wisdom is found in His Word, and revealed to us by the Holy Spirit who resides in us. I take comfort in the fact that when i follow His Word and His will, His wisdom is displayed and there is a harvest of righteousness and peace. When i follow my own thinking and want my own way, the consequences (whether in the short or long term) are unpleasant.

Lord, i ask of you wisdom, and i yield my will and ways and opinions to Your will and ways and opinions.

*James 1:5-8 (NKJV) 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

** James 3:13 (NKJV) Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.

*** James 3:13 (NIV) Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

delight yourself in the Lord

"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."

My part is to delight myself in the Lord. How do i do that? I spend time in His presence, in His word, and be happy in Him, the last of which takes place as a result of the former two.

His part is to give me the desires of my heart, which of course changes even as i spend time with Him, so that my desires are after His own heart. It's all quite exciting really... because then i would want things which are not only aligned to His will, but also good for me, and good for the Kingdom of God. So lofty right? But it's all really simple in how these things come together.

Some of us are waiting for things that He has placed in our heart to come to pass. What do we do in the meantime? Delight ourselves in Him... that's what the Holy Spirit is showing me to do.

Continue to praise Him instead of wondering how long it takes. This demonstrates our trust in Him, who has never failed us and would never fail us.

Continue to seek Him, and He will continue to show you of things to come.

Continue to spend time in His word, and your mind will be renewed, attitudes changed, life transformed, conforming to His will and His image and His plan for your life.

Delight yourself in the Lord means be blessed and happy in His presence.

Start now! :D

a heart of expectation

I'm looking forward to prayer meeting this friday. J's gonna lead and she's already started preparing i believe... We'll just enjoy the presence of the Lord.

I learnt yesterday that prayer was being in the presence of God, and in the presence of God there is joy forevermore. George Mueller puts it this way:

I saw more clearly than ever, that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing to be concerned about was not, how I might serve the Lord, how I might glorify the Lord; but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man may be nourished.... I saw that the most important thing I had to do was to give myself to the reading of the Word of God and to meditation of it.

This is certainly biblical. John wished his beloved readers the same thing in 3 John 2:

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and [that your body] may keep well, even as [I know] your soul keeps well and prospers.

Back to prayer meetings, Ps came up to me on the Sunday after the January prayer meeting and said that it was such a good time of prayer, and the people were actually praying. (Please see earlier entry on 'throw down your rod' where i recorded what took place at that prayer meeting). Praise the Lord!

So we're gonna get happy! And it's gonna be well with us in every way! We're gonna get down to praying what God has placed in our heart. Things are gonna change! His plans will be fulfilled in our lives and in our church!

Prayer lays hold of God's plan and becomes the link between His will and its accomplishment on earth. (!!!!!) Amazing things happen, and we are given the privilege of being the channels of the Holy Spirit's prayer. ~ Elisabeth Elliot

Amen!

kong kong in john sung's The Journal Once Lost

Rev Kao Jie En, (aka kong kong), in his recollections as published in the Singapore Overseas Christian Movement COCM 50th Anniversary Special, said:

"In september 1934, I was at the service conducted by Dr Sung, held at Tian An Church, Cang Qian Hill, Fuzhou. While Dr Sung was preaching, a lame man called Dr Sung a 'strawbag' and grilled him with many questions. Sung's offer to reply in writing was turned down. The man had been luanching attacks in the newspapers and kicking up a ruckus at these services day after day. He even resorted to hiring a gang of hooligans to beat up Dr sung. The lame man's mother turned to the Lord after hearing the sermon on that day.

"Dr Sung was walking back to his office opposite the church after the service, when someone hurried over and told he lame man's mother what her son was up to. The old lady hurried to the church and saw her son leaning against the wall with a bunch of thugs. She started to rebuke him sternly, 'I will die together with you if you dare to cause trouble!' she tried to push her son down the flight of stairs outside the church wall but was stopped by the crowd. His mother continued: 'You good-for-nothing! Who are you to attack this Servant of God? I shall hold you responsible in future should anything happen to Dur Sung during his work in Fuzhou!' The lame man made a hasty retreat and, being a rather filial son, dared not go against his mother's orders. So Dr Sung was able to carry out his work in peace for the remaining time. Praise the Lord, indeed!"


On 1 Dec 1936, during a farewell meeting, the evangelistic band leaders were invited to the stage. They were urged to cooperate with the church leaders and to understand one another in true love. I (John Sung) urged Kao Ji En to preach the Word and not covet the world. (p.364)


Rev Kao Ji En recalled the revival meetings in Sitiawan where an average of 600 people attended the services every day, and spirits went high. The following testimony was published in the Singapore Christian Evangelistic Band 60th Anniversary Publication:

"I loved the bottle in my younger days, and suffered from nasal problems as a result. My nose became as ruddy as a peach and bled very often. Repeated visits to the doctors brought me little respite. In 1937, Dr Sung came to conduct meetings in Sitiawan, and i was his interpreter for the event. At first, i requested Dr Sung to heal my nose ailment, but i was not too happy as i was rebuked by him. He asked me to go on my knees and confess my sins. i stole a glance to see how he used olive oil to lay his hand on and to pray for the patients. he did the same for me,but my condition saw no improvement. Instead of rebuking my own lack of faith, I blamed Dr Sung for i had perceived his ministry to be acts of trickery. In 1938, Dr Sung came to preach in Sitiawan for the second time, and asked me to be his interpreter. I turned him down flatly saying that i 'did not want ot work with a madman'. It was only after counselling from my sister Gui Sing, Leona Wu and Rev Fang Ce that i agreed to the task.

"On the first night, Dr Sung knew from the condition of my nose that i did not have much faith. He quoted from the Israelites' lack of faith in the wilderness, leading to many deaths, and pointed that that was a wake-up call to the congregation. He went on to say, 'Now, there are still some people who are trying to test the Lord. Our Heavenly Father is still giving them opportunities to repent.'

"i was asked to play the part of The Great Sinner that night. I was only 24 years old then. Dr Sung took a table belonging to the kindergarten and placed it on my back, saying, 'Look at this pitiful sinner!' He then led the congregation to sing, The Burden of Sin is No More! as he gave a hard push to the table on my back. The table crashed to the floor and he lifted my hand, shouting, 'Praise the Lord! The burden of sin is no more!'

"From that night onwards, i hated myself for vacillating in my faith, or lacking faith, and confessed to the Lord. One week later, Dr Sung laid his hand on the patients as he prayed for them towards the close of the service. This time round, i fasted, prayed and wept for my sins. I handed over my letter of sin to Dr Sung and requested for his intercession. I admitted my poor faith and begged for his help. Dr Sung instructed me to go down on my knees. I did not dare to take a peek this time, but confessed and prayed the best i could. After he laid his hand on me and prayed, lo and behold, my nose no longer bled. Forty eight years have gone by, and it is now 1985 and there has been no relapse since. Praise the Lord!


Excerpted and adapted from "The Journal Once Lost" - Extracts from the Diary of John Sung Compiled by Levi

shades and splendour*, secrets and saturation

I heard this in my spirit when i was praying and worshiping yesterday in church. In fact, i spoke and sang the following in tongues and interpretation just loud enough for me to hear:

"Shades! Shades! Take the shades off! What shades? Shades of envy, jealousy and wrong attitudes.

Then you'll see the glory* of the Lord! What is it like, this glory? It's filled with the goodness of the Lord, for healings, transformations, lives changed in His very presence!

Secrets - draw close and you will hear His secrets..."

At one point, for a few seconds, it was as if i was fully saturated: i thought i was in the presence of angels as i sang unto the Lord. The spiritual atmosphere around me changed - it was like a FULNESS... it's hard to describe... a FULL-NESS of His presence... like the spiritual realm touched the natural or physcial realm...

Just a few seconds but oh so REFRESHING!

* i used splendour in the title cos of the alliteration - same meaning as glory, but i didn't want to change the word here as this was what i spoke and sang. Must be the literature teacher in me arising...

launch

My husband heard this in his spirit on 2 occasions in the last week:
Launch into the deep and you'll see the provision of the Lord!

Already, we have experienced His divine provision in a tangible way. Indeed we will have more than sufficient resources to do all He wants us to do.

Hallelujah! We are excited about God's leading and guidance this year!

kong kong's 70th birthday testimony

If you have been reading my blog from last year, you would have known that kong kong is in heaven right now. Papa found a booklet containing kong kong's testimony written (originally written in Chinese and translated in English and printed in both languages) for his 70th birthday thanksgiving service in 1982. Spring cleaning has its advantages after all! :D

His testimony is filled with God's healing power and grace upon his life.

Again, i've done only minor editing for his testimony:

Hymn

I know not why God’s wondrous grace

To me He hath made known,

Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love

Redeemed me for His own.

Once, in my infancy, I had acute spasms and was unconscious for three days and nights. While looking around for a doctor for me, my father had a sun-stroke. My distressed mother prayed for the Lord’s mercy for father and son. That night my father had a vision: a man in white robe was holding a dark glass bottle in one hand and a white porcelain spoon in the other. He poured two spoonfuls from the bottle into my father’s mouth, and then he disappeared. In the morning my father recovered. However, I remained unconscious and could neither cry nor suck milk. My anxious parents could only go on bended knees to the Lord, and cried, ‘Oh Lord! This son is your gift to us. Please save him.’

Soon an old lady came to visit us. She persuaded my parents to let her try her method of healing. She asked them to uphold her in prayer. Putting my tiny palms face to face she tied them together. Then she placed some dried herb between my middle fingers and heated the herb. A short while later, I began to cry suddenly. I was out of danger. In their gratitude, my parents dedicated me there and then to the Lord.

When I grew up, I drifted far away from the Lord. Once, a small ulcer appeared on my left knee. I began to scratch it, bursting it. Then it began to swell and bleed profusely. The pain was so excruciating and unbearable that my left leg had to be suspended to ease the pain. Doctors gave up hope on me. Dr James Skinner, the Head of the Christian Hospital, advised my father to quickly send me to a hospital in the city in the mainland to amputate my leg to prevent the poison from spreading to my spine.

However, God was merciful to me. A powerful typhoon was raging rendering it impossible for ships to sail out into the turbulent sea. The following Sunday, an elderly ardent Christian brother, Mr Ho Fook Fu, dropped by after the worship service to see me. He said that I had contracted an “ulcer of the dog’s skull” which could only be cured by applying a mixture comprising of the powder from a dog’s skull mixed with ‘tea-oil’ –an extract from the seeds of a species of camellia. My father did not believe in this strange remedy. He consulted Dr Skinner who told him that the application of the mixture could be fatal. Consequently, my father dared not use it. He was waiting patiently for the typhoon to subside so that he could accompany me to the hospital in the mainland city.

Elderly Mr Ho Fook Fu came by to see me again. He was surprised to see me still lying helplessly in bed. He deduced that my father had difficulty in finding a dog’s skull. So he ventured out to the beach by himself to look for it. He found one and brought it home to prepare the concoction. My father was apprehensive, but dared not prevent Mr Ho from applying the mixture for fear of offending the kind-hearted old man. However, father secretly instructed mother that as soon as the application was done he would bring Mr Ho out for lunch. In the meantime, mother should quickly wash away the application. But the old man turned down the lunch invitation. He insisted on staying back to observe the effect of the application. It was not until 3 o’clock in the afternoon when I fell into a deep sleep that old Mr Ho finally agreed to go out for lunch. Mother quickly hurried into my room with a basin of warm water, locked the door and woke me up. She was going to wash away the application, but I asked her not to. It was so good, cool and soothing that I could sleep peacefully. Mother reproached me. She said I would lose my life if it was not removed, but I was adamant. Praise the Lord! He was merciful to me. Only half the mixture was used and I was already healed. I was able even walk to church to attend the Sunday service. When Dr Skinner saw me he was amazed.

In my youth, I enjoyed drinking liquor. Consequently, I developed a malady which caused my nose to become ruddy. It bled frequently. Doctors could not do anything about it. In 1937, Dr John Sung, a great Chinese evangelist, was in Sitiawan, Malaysia, to conduct a series of Revival meetings and I was roped in to interpret for him. Later, I had an opportunity to request Dr Sung to pray for healing to my ruddy nose. He reproached me harshly and I was emotionally upset and angry. He ‘ordered’ me to go down on my knees and pray. However, in my kneeling position, I opened my eyes to see how he healed people who were sick. I saw him poured some olive oil on his palm and slapped it on each patient’s face. I was frightened. When my turn came, I too was slapped, but I was not healed. I did not feel ashamed for my lack of faith in the Lord. Instead, I was inwardly accusing Dr Sung for attempting to trick people.

The following year, Dr John Sung came back to Sitiawan to conduct another revival meeting there. He requested me to interpret for him, but I turned it down for I was sure he was insane. However, my elder sister, Gie Hing, together with Miss Wu Ching-Ling and Rev C.E. Fang persuaded me to accept.

On the first night, Dr Sung noticed that I was still nursing my ruddy nose. He knew I had little faith. In his sermon, he described how the Israelites tried to tempt the Lord when they were wandering in the wilderness. Eventually, many of them died there. Dr Sung stressed that at that moment many people there had little faith too. They tried to tempt God; yet God who is always merciful continued to give them the opportunity to repent. Then Dr Sung selected me to enact the role of a sinner. (I was 24 years old then). He carried some small kindergarten stools and piled them on my back. He said each stool represented a type of sin. Pointing at me, he said to the people seated below: “What a miserable a sinner this man is!” He then began singing a hymn: “The heavy burden of sins was fully released…” Then, suddenly, he shoved the pile of stools off my back, and then, holding up my hands, he shouted with great joy, “Praise the Lord, all the burdens of sins are taken away!” That very moment I felt released. The Lord Jesus had taken away all my guilt and shame, even as the chairs fell off my back. I repented of all my sins. I confessed before the Lord. A year ago, I had been filled with doubt and unbelief and anger. Now I was able to pray and thank Him for His grace and forgiveness.

A week later, the revival meeting came to a close. During that week, Dr Sung laid hands and prayed for everyone who came forward to be healed. I was humbled. I fasted and prayed with tears. Then I wrote a letter to Dr Sung confessing all my sins and offences toward him, and I requested him to pray for me. I admitted my lack of faith and appealed to him for help. Dr Sung asked me to kneel down. This time I dared not open my eyes to look around but kept on praying to the Lord. Then Dr Sung laid his hands on me and prayed for me. Eventually the ruddiness on my nose was gone. I was totally healed! Praise the Lord! I have been having good nose for more than 44 years now.

Since 1937, I had served in the Methodist Church in Singapore and Malaysia. In 1977, I retired. In my 40 years of being a faithful servant of the Lord, I had received bountiful grace and unfailing blessings from God. I give thanks to Him that in my old age, I can still preach two or three sermons every week. Praise the Lord!

I would like to share with you another hymn:

Thanks, O God, for boundless mercy

From Thy gracious throne above;

Thanks for every need provided

From the fullness of Thy love!

Thanks for daily toil and labor

And for rest when shadows fall;

And for love of friends and neighbor,

And Thy goodness unto all!

Thanks in thorns as well as roses,

Thanks in weakness and in health;

Thanks in clouds as well as sunshine

Thanks for poverty and wealth!

Thanks in pain as well as pleasure

And Thou loveth day by day;

And Thy Word, our dearest treasure,

Shedding light upon our way.

Thanks, O God, for home and fireside,

Where we share our daily bread;

Thanks for hours of sweet communion,

When by Thee our souls are fed!

Thanks for grace in time of sorrow

And for joy and peace in Thee;

Thanks for hope today, tomorrow,

And for all eternity!