Roar of Revelation

A Year of Restoration and Promotion

2011-10-28T17:05:00.004+08:00

TheLord said the year 2012 will be a year of restoration and promotion for Hispeople who humble before Him, i.e. those who depend not on their own wisdom,strength and abilities, but on His grace (Jesus) and His Spirit.

Joel 2:25-26(NKJV) says, “So I will restore to you the years thatthe swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, andthe chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. You shall eat inplenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, Who hasdealt wondrously with you; and My people shall never be put to shame”. There’llbe restoration for God’s people who had missed their opportunities in the past.This will come in many fold compensation that enables them to advance furtherin reaching their God-given destiny.

Forthose who have been serving faithfully and yet were delayed in their promotion,the Lord will give them His words to guide, and His spiritual enabling toadvance, as He had said in Joel 2:19(NKJV), The LORD will answer and say to His people, “Behold I will send yougrain and new wine and oil, and you will be satisfied by them; I will no longermake you a reproach among the nations.

Mayyou who have a hearing heart and are humble in the spirit receive it by faith,and be greatly blessed in this coming year. Amen!

Spiritual Rest and Refresh - 1

2011-10-28T17:04:00.001+08:00

Have you ever triedhitting mosquitoes? If you are not good at aiming precisely, chances are youwill be hitting the air. It’s the same with this world where people getexhausted trying out every means to achieve what they want. Some people justwant to be able to provide 3 meals for their family. Some people are desperateto clear their mountains of debt. Some people want to have better materiallives. Some people desire fame, power, influence, etc. The list goes on. Thegood news for you as believers of Jesus Christ is you don’t have to ‘hit theair’ in all directions to reach your life’s destiny. The Bible says,

Hewho calls you is faithful, who also will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:24 NKJV)

‘Calls’ (Greek) = kalěō– ‘call you by your name (to Him)’.

It is different from‘calling’ (Greek) = klēsis – ‘an invitation to calling or vocation’.

This means it appliesto every believer that God has called by name to Him. It is not referring only tothose who have ministry calling.

‘Do’ (Greek) = pǒiěō– ‘to commit, to fulfil, to observe, to perform, to continue without delay’.

If you cross referenceto Philippians 1:6 (NKJV), ‘Godwill do it’ also means you can be “confidentof this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete ituntil the day of Jesus Christ.” Whatever purpose God has for you, He’llmake sure He completes it.

Isn’t Jesus wonderful?He didn’t just finish His work on the cross, say ‘bye-bye’ and leave you tofulfil your life’s destiny by yourself. Instead, He will make sure you aregroomed to be the person He wants you to be. Thus, it’s not your responsibilitybut God’s responsibility to fulfil His purpose for your life. What you need to dois just to flow with Him (i.e. follow Him).

Spiritual Rest and Refresh -2

2011-10-28T17:03:00.001+08:00

Then, you may ask, “Whatis it that He will do in my life?”, and “How do I flow with Him?”

Butyou shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me inJerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:8NKJV)

‘Power’ = (Greek)dunamis – ‘miraculous power for signs & wonders’.

Signs & wonders = miraculousability, miraculous abundance, miraculous strength.

Be witnesses = be thetestimonies, be the evidences.

Jesus baptizes youwith the Holy Spirit so that you will receive His miraculous enabling to havemiraculous achievements, miraculous providence and miraculous health. Then,your life will be a testimony and evidence for God. Your life will be a witnessthat God is real. If you understand the above revelation, you will start to experienceGod’s miraculous works in and through your life.

People who see God’swonderful works in and through your life will be ready for the gospel of JesusChrist. You need not go through heartache or adopt ‘hard-selling’ persuasion toget your family and friends to believe in Jesus.

Only the Holy Spiritcan convict the hearts and cause genuine conversion in non-believers, no matterhow good you are in presenting the gospel (see John 16:8-9). Apostle Paul alsosaid it clearly in 1 Corinthians 2:4-5(NKJV), “And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of humanwisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power (dunamis), that yourfaith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”

Spiritual Rest and Refresh - 3

2011-10-28T17:02:00.001+08:00

You may then ask, “Howdoes the Holy Spirit work in my life?”

The Holy Spirit worksin your life when you choose to REST in the Lord!

In Matthew 11:28-30,Jesus told those who labour and are heavy laden to come to Him and take Hisyoke, which is easy. He also promised that they will find rest for their souls.A yoke is normally put on two animals to carry a cart together. Imagine thereis someone who is much more muscular than you to carry a yoke together withyou. Chances are he’ll be taking most of the weight while you just rest andwalk along with him. To have someone much stronger and mightier, that is JesusHimself, to share a yoke with you also means you are totally set free from yourburden/load because He is carrying it all instead. Therefore, to take Jesus’yoke means to rest in a Mighty God while you allow Him to take all your burdensand work things out for you.

The word ‘REST’ in Isaiah 28:11-12 (NKJV) doesn’t indicate to lie down in stagnancy.Isaiah prophesied, ‘For with stammeringlips and another tongue He will speak to this people. To whom He said, “This isthe rest with which You may cause the weary to rest.” And, “This is therefreshing”…

This is awesome! Whenyou pray in tongues, you are actually resting in the Lord and allowing the HolySpirit to help you in any of your situation.

Likewisethe Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what weshould pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for uswith groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knowswhat the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saintsaccording to the will of God. And we know that all things work together forgood to those who love God, to those who are the called according to Hispurpose. (Romans 8:26-28 NKJV)

‘Help’ = (Greek)sunantilambanǒmai – ‘to take hold of opposite together, to co-operate’.

‘Sun’ – union, with, together.

‘Antilambanǒmai’ – to participate.

Therefore, when youpray in the spirit (pray in tongues), you allow the Holy Spirit to worktogether with you, and to make intercession for you. All things will then worktogether for good to those who are called according to His purpose!

Dear friends, do notundermine praying in the spirit! If Jesus specifically commanded all Hisdisciples to wait for the Promise of the Father (i.e. the baptism of the HolySpirit), it shows how significant and important it is for you to bestrengthened in the Holy Spirit. As you pray in the spirit and stand on God’sWord (Jesus), you will not act hastily (see Isaiah 28:16). Instead, youwill hear the Holy Spirit teaching you how to go about with your life, business,or ministry (see Isaiah 28:23-29). Your heart will be at rest, yet you seegreat results in whatever you put your hands on! Your heart will also be atrest because you know deep in your heart that with every little thing that youdo now, you are heading towards the fulfilment of your life’s destiny.

No one can help you todetermine your life’s direction or destiny except the Holy Spirit. He isyour best Teacher who teaches and reminds you of God’s Word (see John 14:16-17;John 14:26; John 15:26; John 16:13-15). The great news is God has promised HisSpirit to you - so that you can pray in the spirit, pray according to Hisleading, and thus, allowing Him to help you.

So, have you ‘rested& refreshed’ today?

He Responds To Your Worship - 1

2011-09-19T12:10:00.001+08:00

You are special

As a believer, whether you are a child, a parent, a student, a worker, a manager, or a business owner, you’ll want to know God personally and what He has specifically for you, besides all the promises in the Bible in general.

If you have a ministry calling, a 2-way communication with Him is the ‘pre-requisite’ because in this case, your Father God is also the ‘Big Boss’! Otherwise, how else would you be so sure that you are ‘called’, how else would you know your ‘job-description’, and how else would you know what ministry direction/decision you should take from time to time? You can’t always go around chasing after the prophets of God for prophecies, as they aren’t prophetic vending machines! Also, if you do not have a direct communication with God, it’ll eventually be very frustrating if you try to ‘copy’ other established ministers’ ways/methods of ministry.

You are especially made by God to be ‘you’! There is no other ‘you’ on this earth! And He has a special purpose, way, and plan just for ‘you’!

He Responds To Your Worship - 2

2011-09-19T12:09:00.000+08:00

Relationship in Worship

When it comes to relationship with God, it has to do with one’s worship life. Jesus said in John 4:23-24, “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Most ministers of God would teach ‘to worship God’ is ‘to prostrate before God with reverence and adoration’. No doubt, you are to worship God with reverence and adoration in your heart. But the Lord wants me to write about ‘worship’ from its Greek’s root word, prǒskuněō. ‘Pros’ means ‘to go forward or to go near’, while ‘Kuněō’ comes from the root word ‘Kuōn’ which means ‘dog’! Interestingly, to worship or to ‘prǒskuněō’ means ‘to kiss, like a dog licking the master’s hand’.

Have you ever seen how a dog welcomes the master at the door? The dog won’t bow down like a knight and lick the master’s hand with dignity! The dog would wiggle its tail, bark happily, and then playfully jump on the master while licking the master’s hands and face without second thought! And the master who is so delighted would give an affirming and adoring pat on its head, or a warm hug and a friendly rub around its neck, or even a loving peck!

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying you are like dogs, but the above is to illustrate your worship life, i.e. your ‘responsiveness’ to God, and His ‘responsiveness’ to you, being ‘just as you are’ to Him, without hesitation and reservation. You see, God wants you to know that He always responds to you when you go near to Him, whether through your singing, praying, etc. When you worship without hesitation and reservation, a 2-way communication starts to happen. This is also written in James 4:8a, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” Yes, as a believer, you can draw near to God without hesitation and reservation, worshiping Him in spirit and truth!

He Responds To Your Worship - 3

2011-09-19T12:08:00.000+08:00

Worship God in truth

Whenever we preach or minister, my husband and I will always point the people to Jesus and His perfect work on the cross, because Jesus is ‘truth and grace of God personified’. Truth and grace comes through Jesus Christ alone (see John 1:14-17).

It is written in Matthew 27:50-51, “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom…”

The veil in the temple those days separated the people from the Holy of Holies (where the presence of God is). Once every year, only the high priest would be able to enter the Holy of Holies, seeking God and making atonement on behalf of the people. But when the veil of the temple was torn the moment Jesus died on the cross, the way has been opened for you to have a direct communication with God. Jesus has therefore become the perfect mediator between God the Father and you.

God knows you can’t reach Him by your own self-effort. Big sins or small sins, all are equally sinful to the Holy God. The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (see Romans 3:23). That’s why He sent His only begotten Son Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God, i.e. the perfect sacrifice, to take your place on the cross!

The word ‘truth’ in John 1:14-17, “… truth and grace comes through Jesus Christ alone” and John 4:24, “… worship in spirit and truth” is from the same Greek word ‘aletheia’ which means ‘truly, truth, verity’. Therefore, by knowing Jesus’ perfect work on the cross for you, you know the ‘truth’! When you understand and embrace this truth, you know nothing can stop you from going near to God, and nothing will be able to stop Him from coming close to you, not even your sins and imperfection. When God the Father sees you, He sees Jesus (and His perfect sacrifice) in you. You can therefore come boldly before His ‘throne of grace’ to worship Him. This is the truth in Jesus Christ, a simple truth that expresses God’s total acceptance of you and God’s perfect love for you, no matter what you have done or gone through in life.

To worship God in truth is to worship God in Jesus!

He Responds To Your Worship - 4

2011-09-19T12:07:00.000+08:00

Worship God in spirit

Jesus has also promised the Holy Spirit for you in John 14:16-17, “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever – the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” The Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of truth dwells with you and is in you!

Jesus has made you righteous (i.e. in right standing) before God by taking your sins on Him (see 2 Corinthians 5:21). He has chosen to die on the cross for you. He has also conquered the consequence of sins which is death, for you. He has made you holy so that you can become ‘the temple of the Holy Spirit’ (see 1 Corinthians 6:19). For through Him (Jesus) we have access by one Spirit to the Father (Ephesians 2:18). By knowing the truth in Christ, every time you worship God in your spirit, you’re connected to God’s Spirit, and you get into the ‘right frequency’ with God. A 2-way communication with God is therefore always open for you!

When you worship in spirit and in truth, you are walking in the Holy Spirit. As you walk in the Spirit, there will be evidences of ‘the fruit of the Spirit’ which is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (see Galatians 5:16-25). Godliness cannot be achieved by imposing religious discipline on oneself, but it is by worshiping in spirit and in truth, hence walking in the Holy Spirit. As a Christian, know that Jesus has already carried away your sins and therefore you are made righteous through Him, while the Holy Spirit in you continues to help you overcome the temptation to sin in this world. Therefore, in spite of all your imperfections, God will still respond to you when you worship Him in spirit and truth!

He Responds To Your Worship - 5

2011-09-19T12:05:00.000+08:00

Interesting Life

Your life will be very interesting when you worship God in spirit and truth. Paul quoted the book of Joel in Acts 2:16-18, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy.

Unlike the Old Covenant, every believer in the New Covenant can now ‘hear’ from God because you ‘house’ the Holy Spirit in you. He is ready to guide you, give you direction, warn you of danger/pitfalls, give confirmation, and provide solution in your daily life. Most of the time, you get His response when you worship Him in singing, in playing musical instruments, in conversational prayer, in praying in the spirit/tongue, in reading His Word, etc. God responds to you by bearing witness in your spirit (the ‘peace-go-ahead’ or ‘no-peace-stop-there’ signals in your heart), by dropping thoughts/words in your mind, and sometimes by speaking to you with audible voice, or through visions and dreams. Because the Holy Spirit is in you, He speaks your language and in the way you can understand Him. Even in dreams and visions, don’t be too quick to refer to other sources for interpretation as the Holy Spirit will reveal with symbols/objects or people that you can identify with according to your personal background. As different symbols carry different meaning to different people, the best interpreter you can have is the Holy Spirit Himself!

So, it’s not true that God only speaks to you once in a very long while, or when you are struggling in a ‘life and death situation’. He responds whenever you worship/go near to Him in spirit and truth, anytime and anywhere!

There is power in your voice - part 1

2011-07-27T12:46:00.000+08:00

During a prayer meeting, the Lord said to me, if His people would seek Him, He will give them new strategies to advance, into a new phase of life, career and ministry.

He says in Jeremiah 29:12-14, “Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity…”

Then, He gave me a vision of some astronauts walking and floating above the ground, not affected by gravity. The interpretation came that the law of gravity is affecting everything on earth. When you are above the law of gravity, you are above the law of nature. The Lord wants to give His people solutions that are beyond logic, not confined by human wisdom, supernatural strategies to overcome and to advance in their lives. By aligning with Him, you will be above the enemy’s schemes. And it doesn’t matter if you know the enemy’s plan or not. God’s strategy is always above the enemy’s plan.

Finally, He said in order to work with His strategy, He wants you to release your voice, according to the leading of His Spirit.

Every day, uncountable sounds and voices are being released into the air. They either cause positive effects (works done, peace, enhanced relationships, etc.) or negative effects (strife, war, noise pollution, etc.). Little do people know that every sound or voice released will result in different spiritual effect in the spiritual world, and then the physical world. As I was writing this, the Holy Spirit gave me the understanding that our voice is the substance that the spiritual realm absorbs to produce things that are yet to take place in the natural realm.

Examples:

Genesis 1 – God spoke and creation took place.

Ezekiel 37 – God commanded Ezekiel to say to the dry bones in the valley to live & they became alive, standing before him a great army.

Numbers 22, 23 – Even the enemy knows this supernatural weapon. King Balak (Moabite) bribed Prophet Balaam to curse God’s people. The Angel of God appeared to Balaam and his donkey so that he had to bless God’s people instead.

Jesus – He released words of healing and people got healed. He cursed the fruitless fig tree and it died (see Mark 11).

Acts 5 – Peter judged Ananias and Sapphira for lying to the Holy Spirit and immediately they fell dead on the ground.

There are many more examples in the Bible you can look for until you are convinced enough that there is power in your voice! When the Lord gives you new strategies, He wants you to co-operate with your voice. You can speak, sing, rhyme or rap, as long as you release them.

There is power in your voice - part 2

2011-07-27T12:44:00.000+08:00

Release Voice of Faith for Breakthrough

It is not just the action of quoting a scripture and speaking it again and again. It takes you to know your God that He is a good God!

It is said in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give a future and a hope.” Our eternal God is not limited by time. He sees the past and the future. He can change any situation according to His perfect will. And His perfect will is that you have a future and hope because He is your good Daddy.

Let’s learn from some people of faith in the Bible.

Genesis 22 – Who knows God’s goodness and faithfulness better than Abraham? God asked for Isaac as sacrifice at Mount Moriah. The young boy Isaac asked, “Where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself.” True enough God provided a ram with its horn caught in a thicket. Abraham knew His God is a good God, not a mean God. This is the heart of our Father God. If He can give His own Son Jesus to die for us, what else He can’t give to us? (See Romans 8:32).

Mark 7:24-30 – A Greek woman begged Jesus to deliver her daughter from an unclean spirit. Jesus said, “It’s not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” The woman said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.” And the woman’s daughter was delivered. Wow! Jesus sounded so mean! The woman might not even have a clue or the revelation that Jesus came for both the Jews and the Gentiles, but she knew He has a compassionate heart.

If you still find it hard to believe in His goodness, ask for it like the man with a demon-possessed son, “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!” (See Mark 9:23-24). God doesn’t put you into a mess by giving you trials or temptations (see James 1:13). God only challenges your faith after you have put yourself in a mess (by ignoring or not seeking first His advice), so that you will in turn know more of His love for you.

You have won half the battle the moment you believe God is good to you. Will you believe that your God is good even in difficult times? Will you seek Him and allow Him to give you His supernatural strategies? Will you choose to release voice of faith with His guidance? If all your answers are yes, you are on your way to breakthrough in your life!

There is power in your voice - part 3

2011-07-27T12:43:00.000+08:00

Release Voice of Courage to Advance

I once watched a children movie with my daughter. A common girl was chosen by a living Sword to slay a dragon. When the 2 opponents met, the dragon said, “Long time no see, my enemy!” The girl said, “Have me met?” The dragon said, “I’m not talking to you, you insignificant Sword bearer…” That is what the devil loves to do. He will do his best to make you feel lousy about yourself. The reason is he knows well enough, even with a little courage in you, you will kill off his work of imposing fear in your life.

Do you know that all the great people in the Bible needed to hear voice of courage before they fulfilled their callings? For example:

Joshua 1 – Joshua needed to hear the voice of courage from God for him to lead God’s people into the Promised Land.

Judges 6 – the Angel of God appeared to Gideon and called him ‘A Mighty Man of Valor’ before he had the courage to lead his people to be delivered from the Midianites.

John 21 – remember Peter failed Jesus by denying Him 3 times before the rooster crowed? Jesus had to encourage him by offering him back his ministry 3 times. Guess what, soon, Peter preached a great sermon on the day of Pentecost (see Acts 2) and about 3000 souls were saved!

Oh... at the end of the children movie, the girl killed the dragon with the Sword. She knew the Sword had chosen her to kill the dragon. She kept telling herself that she’s the chosen one, and she got her victory!

You too, know that God has chosen you to partner with Him (by Christ’s finished work on the cross and by sending the Holy Spirit to you). You are more than conquerors through Christ who loves you (see Romans 8:37-39). Keep telling yourself that you are the chosen one (see John 15:16). Speak the words of faith and courage, and your triumph is at hand!

There is power in your voice - part 4

2011-07-27T12:42:00.000+08:00

Dear friend, speak the prophecies you’ve received for yourself again and again. Listen to sermons that encourage and uplift you. Meditate on scriptures that are applicable to your situation. Release the power of God through the speaking of His Living Word. Sing and worship with songs that lift up your spirit. Keep speaking blessings over yourself, family, career, and business. Be in fellowship with people who speak faith and courage.

All of us need to hear voice of faith for breakthrough and voice of courage to advance to a better phase of our lives. You may be doing very well in your life now, but the Lord can give you even better ones, for His blessings are unlimited.

You see, the revelation of the Lord is always simple yet powerful and effective. You might have heard of this teaching many times. To know is one thing. But to apply it and to reap the blessings is another. Imagine there are delicious dishes before you. It will still take you to put them into your mouth to enjoy them.

Therefore, seek the Lord and wait upon Him for His new strategies for your new season. And choose to release voice of faith for breakthrough and voice of courage to advance. Speak the words from God to yourself, to people around you, and to the atmosphere. Release good substances to the spiritual realm for good things to manifest in your life and the people around you. Know that there’s power in your voice!

God's Spirit bears witness in your spirit - 1

2011-06-29T12:36:00.003+08:00

I have many Christians approaching me and asking me lots of questions about communicating with God. “How do I know it’s God who spoke to me?” “How do I know if this dream/vision I had is from God?” “How do I know if this is God’s perfect will for me?” “Do you think this is the right job/business deal/relationship/house/church for me? Will God ever help me in decision making?”

When it comes to teaching people about relationship and communication with God, I love quoting Paul’s benediction to the Corinthians, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion (Greek: kŏinōnia – partnership, to communicate, fellowship, companion) of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.” (2 Corinthians 13:14 NKJV) It expresses the wholesome relationship you can have with the triune yet one true God. As a believer, you receive the love of God and the grace of Jesus. But you also have the companion and communication of the Holy Spirit!

In the old covenant, God put His Spirit on the prophets so that they could hear from Him and convey His words to His people. In the new covenant, God pours His Spirit upon all believers of Jesus to abide in them (John 14:16-17). God wants to have personal relationship and communication with each of you, through His indwelling Spirit. He keeps His promise of not leaving you orphans but always be with you (see John 14:18; Matthew 28:20). Yes, God wants to help, guide and teach you for your own benefits (see John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13-15).

When you have been filled or baptized in Holy Spirit, you are given the supernatural ability to pray in spiritual languages (see Acts 2:1-4; 10:44-46; 19:6). Apostle Paul called it praying in the spirit or praying in tongue (see 1 Corinthians 14:15). When you pray in the spirit, you are praying the perfect will of God as only God’s Spirit knows the will of God (see Romans 8:26-27). As you develop your spiritual language by praying in it often, your spirit is being strengthened and built up (see 1 Corinthians 14:4a). As you are being strengthened in your spirit, you can easily differentiate if it's the voice of Holy Spirit or it's your fleshly desire that you have been hearing.

The more you ‘friend’ the Holy Spirit, the more you will know Him. The more familiar you are with His presence and His ways, the more precise your hearing and communication with Him will be. I am not teaching you a method to communicate with the Holy Spirit. Accurate communication and understanding is a natural process that blossoms from any intimate and mature relationship.

God's Spirit bears witness in your spirit - 2

2011-06-29T12:35:00.000+08:00

Essential foundation

This is He who came by water and blood – Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness (Greek: marturĕō – to be a witness), because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one (1 John 5:6-8 NKJV)

The most basic way the Holy Spirit would speak to you is by bearing witness in your spirit. He would normally give you a feeling of peace for the right decision or a feeling of uneasiness (no peace) if otherwise. It is a non-verbal communication. But it is the most essential and powerful foundation of all the communications the Holy Spirit has with you.

The sequence of involvement in the Holy Spirit’s bearing witness in one’s life is like what I'm going to share here. Yet it is His will to move differently in each believer’s life.

He convinces you of your need for salvation in Christ

“… He will convict the world of sin… of sin, because they do not believe in Me (John 16:8-9)

The Holy Spirit first moves in your heart the moment the gospel of Jesus is being preached to you. He testifies God’s love and grace in your heart. He convinces you to believe in the salvation grace of God. You resonate by praying the salvation prayer to receive Jesus into your life.

He assures you that you are a child of God

The Spirit Himself bears witness (Greek: summarturĕō – to testify jointly) with our spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:16 NKJV).

The moment you pray the salvation prayer sincerely, He gives you assurance inside your heart that you are a child of God. He causes you to know deep inside you, without a shadow of doubt, though your analytical mind cannot comprehend, that you belonged to God. The Holy Spirit is the ‘guarantee’ of God, sealed in your heart (see 2 Corinthians 1:20-22).

He helps you grow and triumph in Christ

But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me (John 15:26 NKJV).

The Holy Spirit will always witness Jesus to you. He will not contradict Jesus – the Word of God because He is the Spirit of truth. He helps you grow spiritually by bearing witness about the things of God in your spirit.

He doesn’t just teach you the right things to do but He teaches you the ways of God. You can feel your spirit delighted and your heart liberated when you hear the teachings or songs about God’s love and grace. He will also bring into remembrance every scripture or prophecy that you have known and received, to help you triumph in your life’s circumstances.

The more time you spend communicating with the Holy Spirit and let Him guide you when you read the Bible, the more you will know God. Without you realizing it, you’d start thinking, talking and acting in His ways. That’s when the true transformation begins, from the inside-out!

God's Spirit bears witness in your spirit - 3

2011-06-29T12:33:00.002+08:00

He gives genuine transformation

“… He will convict… of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more” (John 16:8, 10 NKJV)

The Holy Spirit will always assure you of your righteousness in Christ if you allow Him. He will remind you of the finished work of Christ on the cross for you. Most of the time, self-condemnation comes in when you try to change yourself by your self-effort.

For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life (2 Corinthians 3:6b NKJV).

When you try to use your own mind to interpret God’s Word, legalism and religiosity creeps in. Many cause themselves and others to be miserable by ‘trying’ to be holy and godly. Also, knowing the grace of Jesus is not just by being good at using words or ‘jargons’ that some grace-preachers use! Only the Holy Spirit can give you the revelation and understanding of God's grace. It is by allowing the Holy Spirit to bring the understanding first in your spirit, next your mind, then your actions. That’s the only genuine way to see change and breakthrough in your life without having to strive with human efforts.

Ask any Spirit-filled grace-preachers, and they’d tell you they read the Word and pray with understanding diligently, but they also pray in the spirit. Apostle Paul is the best example. He said he speak with tongues more than others (see 1 Corinthians 2:14). It is not a co-incident that he knew and taught the revelation of God’s grace the most!

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV).

The Holy Spirit inculcates the ways of God in your spirit. He renews you in the spirit of your mind (see Ephesians 4:23). He renews your way of thinking and behavior. He works in your spirit to birth forth spiritual fruits.

Whatever spiritual background you come from, if you do not have personal relationship and teaching of the Holy Spirit, you are bound to be stranded with your own favourite ‘law’, self-excusing and yet judgemental towards others, or worse, self-condemning too.

Only the Holy Spirit can give you true godliness, minus legalism and religiosity!

God's Spirit bears witness in your spirit - 4

2011-06-29T12:31:00.003+08:00

He grooms you into God’s perfect will

Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NKJV).

The closer you are to the Holy Spirit, the more breakthroughs you will see in your life. He is the One who creates the genuine desire for the things of God in you without you consciously pushing yourself to ‘try to make things happen’. He will change your personality, value and character. That’s exactly what Jesus meant in John 15:7, and as you abide in Him, His desire becomes your desire and as you ask what you desire, it shall be done for you.

Thank God He doesn’t simply approve any 'ambitious' prayer that may cause one to end up in trouble. Before He gives you the promotion, He will groom you until you have the spiritual qualities needed to handle the greater prosperity, fame and power.

Through the work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness in your life, you will also realize your sense of security coming from God alone (& no other). You won’t get wavered easily by other people’s remarks. You won’t try to copy and imitate other people’s success. You won’t feel threatened and be ‘competitive’. You won’t pull down others in order to ‘move up’.

The Holy Spirit grooms you into God’s perfect will by bearing witness in your spirit. You know you can’t do anything without God. You'll look for God’s affirmation more than from others. You'll focus only on what God wants you to do. It is the ‘obedience’ that comes not through the fear of being punished, but through your secure relationship with the Lord.

God's Spirit bears witness in your spirit - 5

2011-06-29T12:29:00.001+08:00

So, how do you get to know God more? By just reading about Him? Or by having an intimate relationship with Him? By now, you would have known the answer. If you can’t find anymore words to pray, then pray in the spirit! God loves to speak to you. God wants to lead you.

Know this, 'the work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness in your spirit' will always accompany your other means of communication with God and your functioning of spiritual gifts. Without this 'bearing witness', you won't be sure if what you are receiving is from God. So, get familiar with His guidance through the feeling of peace or a feeling of uneasiness (no peace). The more familiar you are with His leading or guidance, the more you will know it when you receive a word, dream, vision, or sign from Him. The Holy Spirit bearing witness in your spirit is the foundation of a supernatural partnership with Him, non-verbal, yet so powerful. And that’s how Christians are supposed to grow and mature, with the help of the Holy Spirit!

What It Means By 'Pleasing God'

2011-05-09T19:37:00.003+08:00

Many people of God have been taught they need to keep themselves holy, put God first, serve God with their best effort and walk in His perfect will in order to please Him. With this teaching, many are trying with their own strength to live holy life but falling into self-condemnation time after time. There are those who aren’t happy with their ‘state of life’ because they think they aren’t fulfilling the purpose of God in their lives. There are also those who are drained from much service in church’s activities while trying to juggle the time for their career and family. Is that what Christian life is all about?

Can you please God by trying to be holy?

It is said in Romans 8:8, “So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” If you understand that the word ‘please’ here in Greek is actually ‘arĕskō’=to be agreeable’, you will stop ‘trying’ to be good and holy with your own effort. It basically means, if you are being carnal-minded, you cannot agree with Him. You cannot agree that Jesus had done it all for you on the cross and that He had made you a saint in the eyes of God. You cannot agree that He can live His life through you, change your value and your behaviour. You will try to achieve things with your own effort as anything that needs your effort will be very appealing to your flesh.

So what are the things that you can do to please Him? Hebrew 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please (in Greek, ĕuarestĕō = to gratify, to satisfy, to make happy) Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Here, the word ‘please’ serves the right meaning. The other way of phrasing this scripture is that, He is pleased when you are in an intimate relationship with Him and in total dependence on Him. He doesn’t need you to exercise great faith by your own self-effort. He just wants you to rely fully on Him.

Can you please God by putting Him first in your life?

Many Christians are taught to put Christ first in their life, then only comes the family, ministry, career, etc. They are even taught to give their ‘Isaac’ (things or persons they love more than loving God) to God like Abraham was asked to give his son as a sacrifice (which Jesus had fulfilled). This has caused much fear to many believers. They fear that if they love their children or spouse or things they own more than God, He will take them away! Be set free from this bondage, people of God! Colossians 3:4 says, “When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” Apostle Paul also said in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Jesus doesn’t want to be in your priority list! Take Him out of your list today! He is in you and you are in Him! He wants to live His life in you and through you.

Can you please God by giving your best to serve Him?

In Acts 17:24-25, Paul said, “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.” God doesn’t need your service! Serving is an act of love. Serving is an overflow of your intimate relationship with Him. Serving is a gift from God (e.g. spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:1-11). He allows you to participate in the things He’s doing in this world. So, God doesn’t need your best service! If you are performance-orientated, you tend to evaluate yourself whether you have been doing enough, comparing & competing with others, resulting in restlessness and deprived of His shalom peace.

Jesus said in John 15:4-5, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” He wants you to come to the realization that nothing you do can amount to anything. Your best can never be His best. He wants you to come to an end of yourself, that you cannot do anything without Him so that He can work His best in you and through you!

Can you please God by walking in His perfect will?

Apostle Paul said in Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” If you take the word ‘present’ in this scripture literally in English, you will be very legalistic to yourself, trying to live a holy life with your own effort so that you can know God’s perfect will for you. But the word ‘present’ here in Greek is ‘paristēmi’, i.e. ‘to yield, stand aside’ and the root word is ‘pariēmi’, i.e. ‘to let by, relax’. It means you only need to yield yourself to Christ, let Him be the One that transforms you and leads you to walk in His perfect will.

It is also said in 1 Thessalonians 5:24, “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” And in Philippians 1:6, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;” You see, you don’t have to strive or worry if you will ever ‘walk in God’s perfect will’. The burden is off you! God is the One who is responsible to make sure that you walk in His perfect will. You just need to focus on Jesus!

Conclusion

What is salvation and eternal life in Christ? Jesus prayed in John 17:3, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” Your Christian life is not about doing things for God but what Christ has done for you and through you. Rest in Him and allow Him to do whatever He wants in you and through you.

Spiritual Gifts (part 1)

2011-04-22T12:21:00.000+08:00

Why spiritual gifts?

I would like to share about spiritual gifts here, with the hope that it'll help you discover your spiritual gifts and function effectively in them.

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant. (1 Corinthians 12:1)

We are told not to be ignorant of our spiritual gifts. It means we should seek to know about them.

For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. (1 Corinthians 12:8-11)

You don’t get to choose the spiritual gift. It’s the Holy Spirit who distributes to each one of us. I will talk specifically about each spiritual gift in other topics.

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all (1 Corinthians 12: 7)

How do you define the word ‘all’ here? 'All' means 'all believers'? Or, 'All' means 'all believers & all non-believers'?

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)

‘All’ here in Greek is ‘pas’ , which means 'any, every, the whole, whosoever'.

Also, Jesus said in Mark 16:15-20 that healing & casting out demons will be common signs accompanying the preaching of the gospel to non-believers.

Hence, it’s correct to conclude that God gives us spiritual gifts to benefit the believers so that they’ll be strengthened in their walk with God & to benefit the non-believers so that they’ll believe in Him & be saved.

Spiritual Gifts (part 2)

2011-04-22T12:16:00.000+08:00

How to handle your spiritual gifts?

For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. (Romans 12:3-8)

God gives you a specific measure of faith to function in your spiritual gifts. You are not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but yet, not with false humility. Start with whatever you have as you develop the understanding of your sphere of authority and anointing, and thus your effectiveness in handling the gifts. Do not compare with others. Even if two persons have the same gifts, there'll still be differences in each individual's sphere. Eventually, it is your faithfulness in handling the little that more will be given to you.

Accept what you have and be free to be who you are called to be. No one is to impose on another. The Holy Spirit gives gifts, but it’s your free choice whether to function in it or not. You are accountable for your own faithfulness in operating the gifts given to you.

Accept and respect each other’s spiritual gifts. Learn to complement one another (see 1 Corinthians 12:12-30). We are different members in the Body, but one Body in Christ. Only when all of us are functioning in our respective gifts will the Church expand and be strong.

Spiritual Gifts (part 3)

2011-04-22T12:11:00.000+08:00

How to handle your spiritual gifts?

Spiritual Gifts (part 4)

2011-04-22T12:07:00.000+08:00

Whatever you have in your hand, start with it!

Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:6-7)

Don’t be afraid to use your spiritual gifts! If God is for you, nothing and no one can be against you (Romans 8:31).

So, what happens if you say, “Pastor, I do not have any spiritual gift.” Ask God and you shall receive. If you have a testimony of your salvation or how good God is in your life, share it! As you share, you will discover your spiritual gifts more and more. Jesus promised in Mark 16:15-20 that signs & wonders will confirm the sharing (preaching) of the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ.

I’m saying this as a declaration into the atmosphere here. Know that this is the time the Lord is raising even lay & common men & women to do great things for Him. You will even see lay apostles, lay prophets, lay teachers, lay pastors & lay evangelists being raised up by God in the marketplaces all over the world. Amen!

Spiritual Gifts (part 5)

2011-04-22T11:59:00.001+08:00

Promotion and recognition are from the Lord

Parents increase their children’s 'pocket money' only when they are convinced that their children can handle the increase. It’s the same with God. He increases the anointing upon you when He’s convinced you have the ‘right intention’ and the ‘ability’ to handle your promotion.

1 Corinthians 12 talks about spiritual gifts and ends with “But earnestly desire the best gift. And yet I show you a more excellent way”. 1 Corinthians 13 continues by talking about the greatest gift that is ‘love’. Whatever gift you have, it is nothing unless you do it with love. Probably this is the first quality God requires when evaluating whether one is ready for spiritual promotion.

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:23-24)

Spiritual promotion comes from the hand of God alone, and not through men. James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” If you want a real promotion from God (in ministry or in career), you have to follow His way, instead of the worldly way of trying to get as many 'connections' to make yourself known or by 'fighting' for a title or position.

As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:10-11)

Seek to glorify God in everything you do. When your 'intention' is right, you’ll find that the Lord will entrust you with more anointing and expand your ‘spiritual boundaries’.

It’s never a loss but always a gain to serve God with whatever gift you have. You don’t have to compare & compete with others in terms of how much you have done or how much you have sacrificed. Never be 'calculative' with God when you serve Him, because His rewards for you are always more than you can count with worldly terms & conditions.

Spiritual Gifts (part 6)

2011-04-22T11:45:00.001+08:00

Having said all these…

…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling (as in Ephesians 6:5, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ) for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless (innocent), children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world (Philippians 2:12-15)

It is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Thus, no one is supposed to impose on you in the functioning of your spiritual gifts, i.e. forcing you to function only according to their ways or methods. This kind of imposing may even stifle all that God has intended for you in His special way. The opposite is also true. We are also not to impose on others in the functioning of their spiritual gifts.

It takes the Spirit of God to touch you deep within for you to do His will.

If you haven’t received any prophecy regarding your spiritual gift, you can ask the Lord. As you read the Bible verses on spiritual gifts (Ephesians 4:11; 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, 28; Romans 12:6-8), allow the Lord to speak to you.

Using your spiritual gifts to serve God is a 'pleasure' and not a 'pressure'. Reflect on all the prophecies you have received thus far. Ask the Lord to reveal how you should go about with them, step by step. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you, and He will. Receive them willingly and enjoy using them.

May you 'benefit' many lives with your spiritual gifts!

God speaks to lead you (part 1)

2011-04-22T09:58:00.001+08:00

Be led by the Spirit of God

In any satisfying relationship, there should always be 2-way communication e.g. in husband-wife & parents-children relationship. Many Christians pray and hope that God would hear them. But that is just 1-way communication. You need to know that God loves communicating with you! He talked to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (see Genesis 2:16; 3:8-9). It was the sin of disobeying God that broke the relationship and hence the communication between God and men (see Genesis 3).

The reason Jesus came to earth was to restore our relationship with God. Once your relationship with God is restored, the communication between God and you is restored too. What does that mean? It means the Father God wants to speak to you directly and personally.

By Jesus’ finished work on the cross, you are made righteous and are now a temple of the Holy Spirit once you have confessed Christ as your Lord and Saviour (see 1 Corinthians 3:16; 2 Corinthians 6:16). Right on, God sent the Holy Spirit to live in you, to guide and teach you (see John 14:26; 15:26; 16:7-15).

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. (Romans 8:14)

The word ‘led’ here in Greek is pronounced as ‘ag-ō’. It also means ‘to lead, to bring, to drive’. If the Holy Spirit is to ‘lead’ you, no doubt there must be a way of communication. Isn’t it?

God speaks to lead you (part 2)

2011-04-22T09:56:00.002+08:00

The 1^st communication: ‘’I know that I know that I know’’

You may say, “Pastor, I have never heard from God before.” That’s because you didn’t even realise it when God spoke to you in different ways.

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs – heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ… (Romans 8:15-17a)

When you are asked, “how do you know you are surely saved?” You can explain with all the profound scriptures about Christ’s salvation work on the cross. It’s great! But it’s the ‘’I know that I know that I know’’ deep inside your heart which resonates with those scriptures that causes you to ‘know’ deep inside that you are saved. What’s that? It’s God’s Spirit bearing witness inside your heart. This is the most basic, non-verbal and yet deepest way God speaks to you in your spirit.

So, what makes you think your Father God doesn’t talk to you? Some believers think God shuns away from them when they sin. Some believers think they don’t hear from God because they are not special enough compared to other believers with ‘great callings’. But can you find Jesus or His apostles said it anywhere in the Bible? No! So who told you that?

It’s the devil who first lied to Eve in the Garden of Eden - that God doesn’t want mankind to have His wisdom! (see Genesis 3:5) It’s religion that tells you, you need someone ‘holier’ or with ‘greater callings’ to be the mediator for you. But Jesus has already become your perfect Mediator! (see 1Timothy 2:5) It’s your legalistic flesh (old-self) that tells you, you aren’t worthy to hear from God because you still can’t stop sinning. But you are already cleansed and saved by His grace through your faith in Christ. You cannot achieve it with self-effort (see Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-9). The true desire and the ability to please God can only come by the working of the Holy Spirit within you (see Philippians 2:13).

Be set free from that bondage of fear! You are now joint heirs with Christ (see Galatians 4:6-7). As much as God loved to communicate with Jesus when He was on earth, that’s how much He longs to communicate with you.

God speaks to lead you (part 3)

2011-04-22T09:54:00.002+08:00

Father God speaks to each of His sons and daughters

You may ask, “How about the prophets? Aren’t they sent by God to speak to us?” Good question.

In the Old Testament, God spoke only through the anointed prophets because the Holy Spirit was not yet given. In the New Testament, every believer of Christ is sealed with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of their inheritance in Christ (see Ephesians 1:13 & 2 Corinthians 1:22). Therefore through Christ, we have access by one Spirit to the Father God (see Ephesians 2:18).

But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. (1 John 2:27)

If you are a parent with 3 children, will you make one of them as your representative to speak to the rest? No! You love each of them as who they are. You love to spend time and talk to each of them personally. So is your Father God. He loves talking to you personally.

Then, what are the prophets for? Prophets in the New Testament are called together with apostles, evangelists, pastors and teachers in the 5-fold spiritual offices to equip the saints for the work of ministry, and to edify the body of Christ (see Ephesians 4:12). Prophets teach and train believers to hear more accurately from God. Prophets also prophesy to confirm revelations the believers have personally received from God. Apostle Paul told us in 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 not to quench the Spirit by despising prophecies. But we are to test the prophecies and keep what is good.

The best way to receive prophecies and to know the accuracy of the prophecies is when they come as a confirmation to the revelation you have already previously received from the Lord. I personally think that Father God prefers to communicate with you personally first, before sending the prophets. But that depends on how open and ready you are to be led by His Spirit, thus to hear from Him.

God speaks to lead you (part 4)

2011-04-22T09:52:00.007+08:00

The ways God speaks to lead you

But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath; … (Acts 2:16-19a)

Apostle Peter quoted Joel 2:28-30 in the above scriptures. He was preaching Christ boldly in the public for the first time after being filled with the Holy Spirit. These scriptures are very powerful because they are the proof that God wants to communicate to 'all flesh' which is every one of us through His Spirit!

The above scriptures also indicate that God communicates with us in different ways:

Bearing witness – the Holy Spirit testify unto your spirit as in Romans 8:16.

Stirring in the spirit – the Holy Spirit impresses God’s feeling upon your spirit and prompts you for actions. (Note: related scriptures will be provided in another post on this specific topic.)

Hearing – in order to prophesy, you need to first hear from God’s Spirit speaking either audibly or in your spirit.

Visions – He lets you see visual slide(s) of stagnant or moving picture(s) or divine figure(s), while you are awake.

Dreams – The Holy Spirit overrules your mind with drama scenes when you are sleeping.

Signs & wonders – He speaks to you through physical signs and also through supernatural occurrences.

Many ministers of God use the above scriptures to teach on the gift of prophecy. It’s not wrong as believers with prophetic gifts tend to hear from God through the above means more frequently because of their specific calling. But the prophetic gift is the manifestation of the Spirit for the benefit of others (see 1 Corinthians 12:7). That means if you have the prophetic gift, you receive revelation from God to minister to others. While as a beloved child of God, you receive revelations through these means for your own benefit.

I will give more details on each of the ways God speaks to you through the Holy Spirit in other posts on these specific topics.

We have derived from the scriptures and we are convinced that our Father God loves to communicate to you through His Spirit. He doesn’t look at how perfect you are or how great a calling you have. He looks at each of you as His beloved son/daughter, redeemed by Jesus’ precious blood. How will you look at Him today? Are you ready to spend more time conversing with a loving Father God and to hear from Him? If you are willing to hear, He is always willing to speak and lead you!

Stick to your original call

2011-03-17T18:15:00.001+08:00

Dear friends,

I had a night vision (dream) recently which is unnecessary to disclose the details. It is later confirmed by a prophecy given by a senior minister I know from another country.

As you enjoy the blessings from the Lord this year, remember not to be thwarted from the original call of the Lord in your life!

Whether you have been in the ministry of God or you are in the midst of realizing it, stick to the original. Discouragement may come in the form of words from people you are close to, or from friendly but non Spirit-led advice of people. Or it may just be a matter of having your zeal and courage numbed & seared by familiarity or environment around you. Put a halt to that spiritual-deterioration!

2011 is a year to be bold, and bolder than ever before! This is a year to launch forth & stick to whatever God has put in your spirit, i.e. His original plan for you. Let it be birthed forth! Claim what you are entitled for! Stand up for your original call and the Lord will back you up.

Be bold and of good courage!

Sharon Kang

Give thanks for future blessings!

2011-03-17T18:11:00.003+08:00

Dear friends,

I believe as grateful children, you'll always remember to give our Father God thanks and appreciate Him for all the good things He has done in your lives. Good on you! But the time has come for you to go the '2nd mile', not only giving thanks for the past year, but for the year ahead!

In this coming year, I hear the Lord says, "Give thanks for the blessings which are coming into your life!" Your prayers according to the leading of His Spirit will be answered. Claim them upon your lives! Give thanks and receive them by faith!

To many, this will be a year of 'reaping' for all the good works/'sowing' in the past years. Keep up the good work!

For those who have been going through lots of challenges, you will see He is real and strong. He'll turn your mourning into dancing, sorrow into joy! Let the praises of the Lord fill your mouth from now on!

I also hear providence and prosperity coming forth from your worship. Go into deeper worship and personal time with Him, & you'll receive revelation, guidance and open doors in your business, career & ministry.

Last but not least, I pray for good health & strength be with you, and also that you prosper in everything you do in this new year. God bless.

Sharon Kang

December 2010 - You will have the tenacity to advance!

2010-11-11T10:53:00.008+08:00

The Lord has been saying since the past 1 week, "to those who are strong spiritually, they'll have the tenacity to push for a breakthrough, to advance into the new phase of their lives."

Being 'tenacious' means 'keeping a firm hold on something'.

I believe the Lord is not having partiality only for Christians who are strong spiritually. He is also not judging your spiritual age and maturity in Christ. But He's exhorting you to build up your spiritual life by spending time in His Word and praying in the spirit. With the spiritual strength you have gained in your prayer closet, you'll be firm, unshakable and tenacious to obtain breakthrough and advance, from the old to the new. I believe you'll be equipped with His revelation and wisdom as well, given the 'know-how' as you advance in the new season.

May you be one of His strong and tenacious warriors!

November 2010 - Be Set Free!

2010-11-09T12:53:00.008+08:00

The Holy Spirit has been saying, “Be set free from your past bondage”. This is very crucial as the Lord is leading many of you into doing new things upon entering the coming year 2011. Allow Him to ‘shed off’ the old in you in order to be in the new.

To know more, click on 'Be Set Free!'.

Be Set Free!

2010-11-09T12:45:00.007+08:00

The Holy Spirit has been saying, “Be set free from your past bondage”. This is very crucial as the Lord is leading many of you into doing new things. You need to ‘shed off’ the old in order to be in the new. The Lord later led me to read Galatians 5:1, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.”

I was always perplexed by how Christians, for generations, would impose upon themselves certain words in the Bible without checking the real meanings. Many Christians have been made to believe that they are in sickness, poverty, and in all kinds of sufferings because “God is training them to be better people”. But know this, people of God, it hurts God’s heart most when He sees you suffer. It breaks His heart even more when His people think that He is the ‘Source’ of all their sufferings.

What you believe in will either cause you to be in bondage or in liberty. “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. (2 Corinthians 3:17) When you are suffering, you feel bound and confined. How can you say that the Lord, who is the Spirit of liberty, is training you through your sufferings?

In order to experience God’s unlimited blessings, you need to know that He is an unlimited ‘Blessor’, not a ‘Torturer’. God does not cause accident or cancer or bankruptcy or failure in relationship so that you can become a better person. He is a good and loving Father to His children as Jesus said in Matthew 7:7-11.

If you have been interrogating yourself endlessly and couldn’t think of another ‘sin’ that may have caused you into your problem, stop tormenting yourself! Have you ever asked this question “If Christ had already borne all my sufferings on the cross, why do I still have to suffer all these?” The Holy Spirit comes to testify of Jesus’ work on the cross for us (ref. John 15:26). Do not let His work on the cross be in vain.

By being open before the Lord, you’ll experience His grace. The ‘law of sowing evil & reaping evil’ has been stopped in His grace. All you need to do is to start believing and receiving His grace and blessings. Jesus had settled it all on the cross for you!

The next time you are in a problem, halt the penetration of habitual ‘condemning & accusing’ thought. Declare the Lord’s favor & blessings in your life instead. Surely, He’ll help you overcome your situation.

Dear brothers & sisters in Christ, we need the Holy Spirit like never before in this end-time. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” (Romans 8:14) You are now in a time where you need to be spiritually ‘accurate’ in order to have a triumphant life. Reading the Word of God with mere human understanding would confine you in the ‘box’ of ‘worldly-wisdom’. In order to have the right spiritual understanding, you need to think out of that ‘box’ with the help of your personal Consultant and Teacher, the Holy Spirit (ref. John 14:26). For the letter [alone] kills, but the Spirit gives life (ref. 2 Corinthians 3:6). Without God’s revelation (vision), His people would perish (ref. Proverbs 29:18 KJV).

I pray that the Holy Spirit would be the first Person you confide in and consult anytime you stumble into a difficulty. Also, may your reading of the Word (with the help of the Holy Spirit), bring you into a new dimension of spiritual truth. I believe your intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit will bring victory into every area of your life. Being liberated from past bondage, you can be free to venture into the new things God has in store for you and excel in them!

October 2010 - The spirit superseding the mind

2010-10-04T00:45:00.012+08:00

I was in a ministry partners' prayer meeting when I heard the Holy Spirit said, "This is the time of the spirit superseding the mind."

October is the start of the last quarter of year 2010. This last quarter will be the 'stepping stone' for many who are being 'led by the Spirit' to enter into the new things the Lord has opened up for them in year 2011.

Be diligent to pray in the spirit so that you are so 'in tune' with the Holy Spirit. When your spirit man is strong, your mind will be subjected under your spirit. Only then will you walk in God's perfect will for your life and make anointed decisions in your career or ministry.

I pray for your spiritual understanding to be enlightened to see what the Lord is currently doing in your life now. In Jesus' name. Amen.

September 2010 - Over the threshold, into the new door

2010-10-04T00:27:00.011+08:00

During a church prayer meeting, I saw a new door being opened up and a pair of legs crossing over the 'threshold' to enter into the other side of the door.

I believe this is the start of a new phase and season for many of you. But it will take courage and faith to step over the 'threshold'. You'll need to overcome some hindrances. It may be self-pity or some emotional setbacks that you need to deal with. It may also be the lack of support or discouragement from those who are close to you. Whatever it may be, be determined to overcome these hindrances and start entering the new phase God has for you!

I pray for the divine strength from God to strengthen your spirit, soul and body, as you overcome and subdue. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Listen and Obey

2010-09-30T16:00:00.003+08:00

For two consecutive days, the Lord has been leading me to read Jeremiah 35.

In Jeremiah 35, the Lord told Jeremiah to bring the Rechabites into one of the chambers in the house of the Lord, and give them wine to drink. They rejected the drink and said (in verses 6-8), “We will drink no wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, saying, ‘You shall drink no wine, you nor your sons, forever. You shall not build a house, sow seed, plant a vineyard, nor have any of these; but all your days you shall dwell in tents, that you may live many days in the land where you are sojourners.’ Thus we have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he charged us...”

Sometimes in our Christian walk or ministry, you are offered ‘good things’ that seemed good in the eyes of others but may not be what the Lord wants for you. Only you can decide at the time whether to accept ‘the offer’ or not. To reject it, you are deemed foolish by people around you. To accept it means you are stepping out of God’s call for your life and the specific blessings that supposed to come with the calling. What would you choose?

In response to the obedience of the Rechabites, the Lord spoke through Jeremiah to the people in Judah and Jerusalem in verse 13, “Will you not receive instruction to obey My words?”

As a parent, it is frustrating to see other children so obedient to their parents while yours are like uncontrollable monkeys. Your yelling and nagging always fall on deaf ears and you only have them come back crying when they get hurt. I believe it’s the same in the heart of our Father God when we don’t spend the time listening to His instructions. You need to listen in order to know what to obey. Sometimes, it means spending an exclusive time seeking His heart. At times, it involves fasting too, in order to 'tune down' the voice of your flesh and magnify the voice of His Spirit. As stated in Romans 8:5-6, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”

The Lord’s instructions for His people were (and also now are) is in verse 15b, "Turn now everyone from his evil way, amend your doings, and do not go after other gods to serve them; then you will dwell in the land which I have given you and your fathers…”

If your mind has been 'entertained' by many creative ideas lately, either from your own or from others, and you aren’t so sure if these thoughts are from the Lord, pause a moment! Choosing your own way or following after worldly wisdom is taken as idolatry to God. If you treasure your 'Father-son' or 'Father-daughter' relationship with God, choose to seek His instruction instead. There’s no worldly wisdom that can compare with the wisdom of God.

Some believers think that 'waiting on the Lord' is a waste of time and is an excuse for doing nothing. They will ask questions like, "What if the Lord never answers?" or "Hey, hasn’t the Lord given you a brain to think and plan for yourself?" or say things like, "Only the spiritual maniacs do that kind of thing".

As parents are concerned with everything that has to do with their children, from their food, their clothes, their life-partners, to their future or education and career, the Lord is the same with His children. Moreover, it is said in Matthew 7:7,11, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you… If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”

The Lord’s disappointment led Him to pronounce judgment through Jeremiah in verse 17, “…Behold, I will bring on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the doom that I have pronounced against them; because I have spoken to them but they have not heard, and I have called to them but they have not answered.”

Have things become stagnant and not been progressing as they should in your life or ministry? It's time to seek the Lord and 'realign' with Him. Sometimes the Lord allows stagnancy to get your attention. It is written in Hebrews 12:5,6,11, “…My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the LORD loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives… Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Let the Lord deal with whatever shortcomings you have or correct the mistakes you have made. This takes your willingness and humility. You will come out victorious and stronger than before!

To the obedient Rechabites, the Lord said through Jeremiah in verse 19, “Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not lack a man to stand before Me forever.” It means a lot to be able to 'stand before God'. It means you will always have wisdom and new revelation from God in your life. It also means you are able to ‘discuss’ issues with God like Moses and Samuel did (refer Jeremiah 15:1). Imagine that!

As you obey the Lord’s specific instructions for your life & ministry, blessings will never cease to flow. Hallelujah!

What Counts In Spiritual Ministry?

2010-05-13T17:41:00.032+08:00

One morning over breakfast, my husband was discussing with me about 1 Chronicles 20 & 21 and 2 Samuel 24 (when King David ordered for a census of Israel and Judah). In these chapters, we read that this very act of King David stirred God’s wrath, and a plague then came on the land. Many were killed because of this one decision. This reminded me of God’s instructions for my husband and I at the initial stage of our current ministries, which I believe is applicable to all God-ordained ministries.

Always consult the Father

King David’s kingdom was well established and everything was smooth-sailing before He made this decision to number Israel. It’s a surprise that he didn’t consult God first (like in other times in the past before He went for war). It is not true that when we are living in God’s grace and favor, all our decisions will automatically be blessed by Him. If a God-fearing person like King David can make a wrong decision, even being moved by satan and by fleshly desire, no one is infallible.

Thus says the Lord: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth; For in these I delight," says the LORD. (Jeremiah 9:23-24 NKJV)

In every stage of one's ministry, one should not stop consulting God (in any decision-making). If you are a parent, you will not have the heart to deny your children of their inquiries even when you are busy. You may not attend to them immediately but will eventually give in if they keep ‘pulling your sleeves’. So ask and expect to receive direction from Him (read Matthew 7:7-11).

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV)

Many future troubles can be prevented when we move in God’s purpose and timing. Prevention is better than cure. Have the habit of consulting your Abba Father who is interested in every aspect of your life.

Individual life that counts, not number

I remember the Lord led me to read these chapters in the Bible before we moved our new church's Sunday Service out from our home to the public place. The Lord told me He wanted His ministers to serve with the right intention, not be ‘number-fame-power-money crazy’ but to minister to precious souls as individuals.

"Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away." (1 Peter 5:2-4 NKJV)

It is very interesting that in 1 Chronicles 21:3, Joab answered King David when he was instructed to take census, “…are they not all my lord’s servants? Why then does my lord require this thing? Why should he be a cause of guilt in Israel?” It is sad to see pastors and elders lost their joy of serving the Lord once they are too ‘number-conscious’, either being imposed by others, or self-imposed. Unnecessary pressure and guilt would come in when they failed to meet the ‘quota’ of members or losing members in their churches or cells. Ministry is always about meeting people’s needs. This is the heartbeat of God. When there is no heart for people, there is no ministry.

(Read 1 Corinthians 3).

God cares for His children’s needs and wants His flock to be shepherded with love. Only God can give the true increase. Human-generated growth will not last. We preach but the Holy Spirit convicts. The Church is God’s building. Different churches/groups of believers have different God-intended personalities. Just as a father sees the beauty of different personalities in each of his children, so is our Father God. Therefore, there shouldn’t be any comparison or competition among groups of believers. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, that is in Jesus Christ. It’s never how much you can do for God that counts, but doing what He wants you to do. Let no one boast in men but build on works that endure the test of fire and receive the reward from God that does not fade away.

Stick to your calling

King David was called to be a man of war. His son, King Solomon was called to be a man of rest (peace). Though at an old age when King David was not able to fight at war, he’d be better off training more ‘warrior-disciples’, instead of taking census over Israel and Judah. Was it due to his boredom, pride, or for the sake of a sense of self-achievement? The reason wasn’t stated but one thing's for sure, he wasn’t doing what he’s called as.

For I say, "through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function... Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them..." (Romans 12:3-8 NKJV)

Have you been trying to 'wear many hats' that are either too big or too small for you? It’s important that you function in the measure of grace and sphere of spiritual authority God endows upon you. Grow with the present ministry grace upon your life and not presumptuously jump into another’s ministry or spiritual office. The last thing you want is to suffer from wrong ministry choices or making mistakes that affect other innocent lives. It is important to know the specific call of God for your life. When the Lord ‘orders’, He ‘pays’. This is also one of the important keys to having financial blessings in your ministry.

Are you currently suffering from financial famine, spiritual attack, ‘losing members or their submission’, or any unexplainable 'plague' in your ministry? Take a moment to reflect the system and structure you've set up. Are they still standing and being built on the original purpose laid by the Lord for your ministry? Are you still sticking to the call of God in your life? Have you been patiently waiting for the revelation of the Lord before carrying out ministry decisions?

Bear in mind this message is not for you to condemn yourself or to judge others, but to live in the very calling of God for your life. I rejoice with you if you are currently enjoying a fulfilling ministry. May there be more effective ministers being established through your ministry.

However, if mistakes have been made, know that you do not have to go through and suffer the consequences as in King David’s time. Acknowledge your mistakes to God and come back to alignment with Him. King David had to buy a threshing floor from Ornan with full price to set up an altar for 'burnt offering' to the Lord, in order for the plague to stop. In our time (New Covenant), Jesus (a 'picture' of the ‘burnt offering’), the perfect sacrifice, has been laid for us at the 'altar'. He has paid the full price when He died on the cross for you. The ‘plague’ shall stop as you realign to God's original purpose for your life.

May many more lives be blessed through your life and ministry.

Humble before God to succeed

2010-01-25T12:02:00.016+08:00

In the wee hours of the morning on the day my husband and I were supposed to teach about ‘ministry’ to some young ministers of God, the Lord gave me a dream. In the night vision, we were invited to preach in my father’s hometown. We were accommodated in a room upstairs with a huge balcony. Strangely, there were animals at the balcony. Suddenly, I realized a turkey had intruded the room and I quickly chased it out. The second intruder was a horse without a leg, and I chased it out too. The scene stopped there. That evening, my husband (who is a pastor) was teaching about humbling under the mighty hand of God. Immediately I knew where the dream tied to and I released it to the people.

In James 4:10, it says “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” Many believers and ministers who want success will surely meditate on this verse. But have you ever asked yourself, what is ‘humbling before God’, and ‘how humble is being humble enough’?

No believer of Christ will outrightly deny the sovereignty of God. However, to think and walk the talk is another thing altogether. Now, I’m not talking about your salvation grace. By the finished work of Christ on the cross, you who have believed and confessed Christ in your life are saved indeed (Romans 10:9-10). I’m talking about you getting the wisdom of God to succeed when you are still on this earthly realm. Humble before God, surrender the ‘turkey’ and the ‘horse’ of your life to Him and you are on the way to promotion. Remember, only the promotion and blessing from the hand of God 'adds no sorrow with it' (Proverbs 10:22).

a) The 'turkey'

The Lord gave me the understanding that 'turkey' is always served on the dining table during big festivals for ages, as a tradition. He’s not saying that from now on ‘thou shall not have turkey for thy Thanksgiving or Christmas’. But the Lord wants you to get rid of the traditions you held to, that have been hindering His new move in your life.

Traditions can be the customs you have been practicing for generations, beliefs made sacred that are not derived from the Bible, a set of rules or laws that give you your identity as a group, even methods and approaches that had helped you to succeed in the past before. Holding on to traditions will make you judge others (James 4:11-12). It makes you ‘distinct’ yourself from other brethren in Christ. It makes you proud. When you are proud of what you already have, you are not receptive of God’s new move that will bring new and greater success. You confine yourself in a set of old rules and methods. But do you know that Jesus had never again 'put the same mud on the eyes of the blind'? He always did new things.

b) The 'horse'

As timely as it was, the Lord brought my attention to Psalm 20:7-8 as my daughter was reading her ‘Day-by-Day’ Children’s Bible on Psalm 20 before her bedtime.

Horses were the main transport used for traveling, carriage of goods and fighting in war in the old times. It was the ‘infrastructure system’. Unfortunately, horses can accidentally break their legs and be lame.

The Lord is speaking about your trust in the worldly system today. There is nothing wrong about your work in the secular world or your investments in banks and properties. I’m not encouraging laziness or passiveness in handling your career or finance. God loves to bless diligent people (Proverbs 10:4). But if you have put your trust on your paychecks from the organization you work in (be it secular companies or Christian ministries) or on your investments for future security, more than your trust on God, you are actually boasting about your tomorrow’s success (James 4:13-16). Again, you are being proud. Friendship with the world is enmity with God (James 4:4).

When the world's economy suffered recently, many believers who had trusted in the worldly system found themselves in the same devastating state financially with the non-believers. It's a wake-up call for many. If you put your trust only on God, He’ll give you the ways to overcome and excel even in the worst economic situation. Like the Psalm 20:6-8 written in the Children’s Bible, “God answers His people from heaven. He saves them with His great power. Some people trust in horses. Some people trust in chariots. Those people will fall someday. But we trust in God. We will always stand strong.”

The solution is very simple. Allow the Lord to set you free from confining traditions. Choose to rely on God's Spirit instead of the worldly system though you are generating finance from it. The worldly system is supposed to serve you who are the heirs of the Almighty God (Romans 8:17a).

The only thing left to do now is to draw near to God and He will draw near to you (James 4:8). Be settled in your heart that you want to trust Him and follow His ways alone. Seek Him earnestly at all times. Expect God to speak and do new things in your life. Know that your Father God loves to speak to you. Learn to act according to His instructions, with faith and obedience.

Don't be afraid when you fail Him, though. Rise up and know that He always loves you and His grace is always sufficient for you (2 Corinthians 12:9). As long as you are willing to humble before the Lord, be assured that He will give you the new revelations and new opportunities to succeed in this fallen world.

Pray in the spirit

2010-01-07T19:42:00.011+08:00

A week or two before I preached on this topic at church, I met a new friend who asked me about praying in the spirit. I share it here because I believe many Christians who have the interest yet hesitation about praying in the spirit should know. Below are the questions she asked and the answers I gave her.

Q. Is praying in the spirit the same as praying in tongue?

A. Yes. They are the same. Let’s refer to 1 Corinthians 14:14-15. In v14, Paul said that when he prayed in tongue, his spirit prayed but his understanding was unfruitful. Then in v15, he concluded that he would pray both in the spirit and in the understanding. So, praying in the spirit is praying in tongue.

Q. Is praying in tongue the evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

A. There is no direct statement in the bible that says so. But, there are 3 strong evidences here proving that believers all prayed in tongue after they were baptized in the Holy Spirit.

In Acts 2:1-4, all the120 disciples who took heed of Jesus’ command to wait at Jerusalem and to be baptized in the Holy Spirit were praying at the upper room during Pentecost, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues.

In Acts 10:44-46, the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentile believers while Peter was preaching at Cornelius’ house. There and then, they were heard speaking with tongues and magnifying God.

In Acts 19:6, Paul laid hand on his 12 newly recruited disciples at Ephesus. The Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.

Q. Is it necessary to pray in the spirit/pray in tongue?

A. Let’s refer back to 1 Corinthians 14. Paul wrote that when you speak in tongue, you speak the mysteries of God (v2) and edify yourself (v4) because your spirit prays (v14). He wished that all spoke with tongues (v5) and gave the conclusion that it’s beneficial to pray both with tongue and understanding (v15).

In Jude 20-21, Jude linked praying in the Holy Spirit to building yourself (your spirit) in God.

In Ephesians 6:18, Paul told us that, after putting on the whole armor of God, we are to pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, in order to be alert in the spirit and stand strong in this end time.

Whatever your decision is after reading this sharing, my sincere prayer is that you will not be deprived of one of the great signs that will follow those who believe, ‘they will speak with new tongue’ as written by Mark in Mark 16:17c.

Forgive To Bless

2009-09-09T14:03:00.020+08:00

The Lord gave me a dream early in the morning one Sunday. I saw myself outside of a classroom. Then, I saw a young lady whom I have known for some years. She was walking into the classroom and pulling along a leopard as if it's a tame dog. The leopard had wounds all over its body. When she was trying to settle the leopard before taking her seat in the classroom, the animal went out of control and caused havoc in the classroom. Everyone ran for their lives. The lady tried to control the leopard but to no avail.

I knew what the Lord was trying to convey but didn't know what's the purpose of it until I shared it to my husband before we left for church. He was going to preach about blessing others that day. The dream was an add-on in God's message for the church.

The Lord gave me understanding that the leopard was that lady's heart. Knowing her background, she's the type that keeps offense and hurts inside her heart though she appears to be fine all the time. I know her struggles. Though she has sincerely been trying to be a blessing to others, she still continues to hurt others with her speech or actions, intentionally or unintentionally. And people tend to avoid her so that they won't be hurt.

"As in water face reflect face, so a man's heart reveals the man." (Proverbs 27:19)

You see, your heart controls your whole being. Who you are today is the end-result of the substance you have in your heart. So, what you allow to be kept in your heart is very important. If you keep offense, you will offend others. If you keep hurts, you will hurt others. But if you have been receiving and giving love, love will always overflow from your heart.

Unrealistically, many believers try to appear to be 'kind' people without allowing the Lord to heal and deal with their lives. As a consequence, they hurt more people and outsiders judge them as having 'double-identity' or being 'two-faced' Christians.

"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." (Matthew 6:14-15)

Matthew 6:14-15 is not telling you about God's strictness. Our heavenly Father is loving and merciful, but He is bound by the free will He gave to His creation. Your decision will determine what flows out of your life. If you want to be a blessing to others, you must first choose to forgive those who had hurt or offended you, so that blessings could flow through your life. Let the Lord deal with you from the core or the root of your problems and set you free.

"But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." (Matthew 5:44-45)

How do you know you have forgiven those people who had hurt or offended you? The answer is when you can bless them in your prayer, then in your speech, and finally in action.

Once your life is cleared of offenses and hurts, do not allow new ones to come in.

May you be a great blessing to many.

Get Life and Peace by being Spiritually Minded

2009-08-18T21:54:00.018+08:00

I woke up one morning and the verses in Romans 8:5-6 kept ringing in my mind. As I continued meditating on the verses and praying in the spirit, the Lord started telling me that many believers do not have the life and peace they deserve because they have been seeing and doing things in carnal/worldly ways.

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded Is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” (Romans 8:5-6)

It is not easy to not worry if you read the newspaper or talk to people about the world situation nowadays. The crumbling world’s economic structure, rise of crimes, life-threatening diseases, increasing environmental and air pollution, shortage of food and fuel supply in the future, etc. All these can cause anxiety to the heart.

But if you would set your mind on the things of the Spirit and seek Him, you will know His ways. When you know His ways, you will have peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7) because you will have the assurance that He is always in control indeed. And you will have the wisdom in living an abundant life (1 Timothy 4:8; Psalms 37:9). The world may see your faith and obedience as foolishness, but worldly wisdom is foolishness with God (1 Corinthians 3:18-19).

Let’s take a scenario. Say, you are working in a big company and there are rumors being passed around that the company will go bankrupt soon. Many of your colleagues have started looking for other jobs and they are willing to compromise on their salaries as long as they find a steady job immediately. If you have been setting your mind on the things of the flesh, you would immediately follow suit and can't stop worrying about your future. But if you have been living in close relationship with the Spirit of God, you would first seek spiritual understanding for your current situation and soon enough, the Lord will provide you the wisdom to act. Say, the Lord tells you to stay put in the same company and work as normal. You obey willingly while being the laughing stock of your resigning colleagues. You are labeled as a fool who waits for doom. However, very soon after, their laughter stops. Your company gets a huge project and its share value rises highest in the company’s history. Best of all, you get promoted to take over the position of your manager who had just left for a smaller company! So, where will you set your mind today? The worldly way or God’s way?

By the way, are you a thrifty person? If you are being thrifty because you feel responsible as a good steward of the resources provided by God, keep it up. But, if you are being too thrifty because you are worried that you will lose out in the big sale, or you are always suspicious of people taking advantage of you, or you will not buy anything unless you get to bargain until the last cent you deemed deserve, that’s poverty mentality. If you have been spiritually minded, you will have the confident that even if a loaf of bread is going to cost you $100 one day, the Lord will still be able to provide you a comfortable life.

How to live according to the Spirit and be spiritually minded? You need to be renewed in the spirit of your mind. That means you need to renew your mind to the Spirit of God. Your mind learns from what you see and hear everyday since the first day you were born. If you have not been taught to soak in the Word and the Spirit of God, chances are your mind have been polluted with worldly values. This is the root problem where most believers hear more of the voice of the flesh instead of the voice of the Holy Spirit. In order to be spiritually minded, you need to guard your heart and your mind with the Word of God. Also, you need to diligently sensitize your spirit man by praying in the spirit. If necessary, go into fasting and prayer. When your mind is conquered by the Holy Spirit, it becomes a vessel for your spirit man. You will know the mind of God for your situation through the Holy Spirit when you pray and hear from Him.

Can you remember the time when you were still under the care of your parents and didn’t have to worry what you are going to eat the next day? Setting your mind and living in the Spirit will enable you to experience the same kind of life, putting yourself under the direct care of your Heavenly Father. You will be fed directly from your Father’s hand. It is possible to grow in age yet not worn out by the hardships and troubles of this world. Start meditating and speaking Roman 8:5-6 to yourself and seeking the Lord diligently today. Be set free from anxiety and get a life filled with the peace of God. Have a great life!

Seek Wisdom For Solution

2009-07-16T18:32:00.021+08:00

After giving a session of counseling not long ago, I realized many believers are still stuck in their problems even after much prayer. Mostly it’s because they don’t know they are to look for solution through prayer. In fact, many have yet to understand that their prayer lives involve constant 2-way responsive conversation with the Lord.

Prayer is not giving God a long list of 'shopping list', and then end with amen. Prayer is not dumping your emotional garbage to God. You have the right as a child of God to express your emotion and feeling to Him. But just because you start and end with lots of tears, it doesn’t mean you are automatically entitled to have all your wishes come true. You can’t twist God’s arm. Well, probably He did entertain a little when you were a spiritual babe in Christ. But as you grow spiritually, He expects you to relate to Him with increased spiritual maturity, disregarding your biological age.

What is spiritual maturity? You are maturing more in the spirit when you are in closer relationship with God. You are maturing more when your spiritual understanding is increasing. You are maturing more when you start to think more like Him. There is no end to maturing in the spirit. It takes your whole lifetime on earth and eternity because you will never understand God enough. But you can grow spiritually more matured by spending time worshipping God, praying in the spirit and understanding, reading and meditating upon His Word.

If you haven't been spending time with God and His Word for some time, don't feel condemned. Just draw near to Him with a sincere heart. Your Heavenly Father's arms are always opened for you. If you can pray in the spirit with heavenly tongue, do that. Otherwise, start with a time of worship. Sing some worship songs so that your heart will be opened to hear from Him. Seek the Lord and He will give you understanding (Proverbs 28:5b). It just takes your will to work the relationship.

Let’s get back to the topic. When you were a child and you wanted something badly, you wailed, you threw tantrum, and you finally got what you wanted from your parents. But if you still behave the same as a grown up, your parents will deem themselves a failure in parenting. Yet, that does not short-change their love for you. They just want you to be a responsible grown up person. This is God the Father’s reflection on them (Matthew 7:7-11). God still expects you to look unto Him with a childlike heart minus the childish way (Mark 10:15). As a grown up, you seek your parents’ advice and act accordingly. You approach your parents for their wisdom that they had gained through life-experience (Proverbs 1:8-9). How much more should you seek the wisdom from the God of whole universe, the Alpha and Omega, who is the Beginning and the End (Revelation 22:13)? If you don’t have the privilege of asking your own parents’ advice, you can always count on your Abba Father who is omniscient (All-knowing).

The book of Proverbs teaches us to seek wisdom from God.

My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth comes knowledge and understanding (Proverbs 2:1-6).

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).

The Lord is always in the search for someone who will seek His face and advice like King David did. And hey, He is never stingy with what He can give you (1 King 11:38).

However, in getting your prayers answered, always acknowledge that His thoughts are higher (Isaiah 55:8-9). I assume you understand that this writing talks about seeking specific wisdom and revelation from God. So, whether the answer you get requires your immediate action, or it requires you to simply wait patiently for His sovereign intervention, obedience is the key (Isaiah 1:19). If you are not sure whether you have received correctly, ask for one or two more confirmation. God is a generous Father. Whatever reply you get from your Heavenly Father, be assured that your solution is at hand. As long as you follow the guidance of His Spirit closely, breakthrough will come.

It is so easy to live in this chaotic world without having to strive and being stressed out, if you know how to rest in God’s presence and seek His wisdom. Surely you will experience and enjoy the peace and joy of the Lord because you live a God-guided life!

A Message for Pastors

2009-05-29T20:29:00.028+08:00

I had a dream during mid-May 2009. In the dream, I was in a prayer meeting full of pastors. The meeting was held in a bedroom in a luxurious cruise ship. All the pastors were standing around the bed. As we were worshipping and praying in the spirit, some pastors started to have weird expressions on their faces. When the presence of God descended heavily in that room, those with distorted facial expressions started to 'manifest' the 'spirits of oppression' that had gained influence in their lives. One of them even jumped out and threatened to kill anyone who would give their all to serve God. Because of that, many ran away to hide. I was caught by surprise that so many established pastors were also so easily threatened. My heart was burning with anger that I jumped up on the bed and started praying fiercely in the spirit. The one who was demon possessed fled a moment after that.

Message:

I woke up feeling overwhelmed. Rest assured that I did not premeditate to have such a dream. The Lord is my witness. In fact, it took me a few days of seeking the Lord to be sure what He’s trying to convey, before I release this. I share this not to judge as I have no right to judge my own brethren in Christ (see Matthew 7:1-2 & Romans 14:10-12). As I share this with you, I also, without exception, humbly learn from the Lord.

Here it goes:

Many pastors have been influenced by the ways of the world in establishing their churches. No doubt many started with pure visions and passion to see souls saved, to feed their sheep with green pastures from personal revelations in order to expand the kingdom of God. Somehow, when they got established and recognized, ‘their achievements’ have become more important than what the Lord wants to accomplish through their lives. There are mixtures of holy passion to see God’s kingdom expanded and also yearning toward worldly recognition. Many have the sense of insecurity when being compared with. As a consequence, many have tried to expand their churches with methods and approaches. There is nothing wrong with methods and approaches, but incorporating these blindly into their churches without the leading of the Holy Spirit is displeasing to the Lord.

Pastors have been praying for increase in their churches, and no doubt the Lord is very eager to give increase. However, in order to give increase, the Lord has to clean His house first. The seriousness of the whole matter is that, when the Lord spring cleans His house, everything that is not of Him and the work of the flesh, though hidden will eventually be exposed.

1 Corinthians 3:6-23:

“6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. 18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; 20 and again, “The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” 21 Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: 22whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all are yours. 23 And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.”

The true increase that will remain fruitful comes only from the Lord. What works for others may not work for your church. When the Lord is with you, any method or system that He has spoken to you will work. The moment you learn to cruise freely with the direction of the Holy Spirit in your daily ministry, you are at the right track.

There's nothing wrong with learning from one another. But first and foremost, will you spend time on your knees to seek God’s way instead of blindly planning to enforce another method or 'formula' that may have helped others to grow into mega-churches? Will you take the step of faith to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit? Will you shrug off 'peer pressure' and the spirit of competition (to outdo one another) and choose to hear God's voice instead? Will you come back to the tender moment during the initial stages of your ministry when you used to promise the Lord that you were willing to give your all, and that His will is more important than any of your achievements/recognition?

As ministers of God, let’s not try to outdo each other, but instead cover each other with love and prayers. Let those who have ears hear. May your church and ministry always be led by the Holy Spirit, and may you see the increase that comes from the Lord.