Friday, October 31, 2008
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congratz to yang and patty!
Great night at yaf tonight! think worship was good, or at least that's what i think. Life group was good too! Atmosphere at church tonight was great overall i feel.
Day 119.
So Nathan comes and tells David this parable about a rich man and a poor man, and the poor man had a sheep which he bought and treated it like his daughter. Then came a traveller came to the rich man, and the rich man couldn't bear to one of the many sheep or cattle that he had to prepare it for the traveller, so he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the guest. Such a sad story.. But anyway that was pretty much what David did to Uriah, David being the rich man with everything he needed, and Uriah being the poor man with only one wife which he dearly loved. Anyway after David realaized this, he knew that he had sinned against God and was in the wrong. However it was too late, because David treated the Lord with contempt, He struck the son that was borned to him by Bathsheba. So then there are all these psalms written by David praying for forgiveness, mercy, and help. In the end the baby still died. Then after that, he had Solomon! Interesting how it required Nathan to explain the parable to David before he realized that he had sinned against God. And by that time, it was too late. May that not be the case with us as well.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
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Day 118.
More fighting and war continues, this time against the Aramean forces. One smal detail i noticed that is pretty intriguing is that the same battle is described in two different parts in the Bible, which is in 2 Samuel 10:15-19, and 1 Chronicles 16-19. However in 2 Samuel 10:18 it says that David killed 700 charioteers, but in 1 Chronicles 19:18 it says that David killed 7,000 charioteers! It's the same story, but the numbers don't match up..how come?
Anyway after that, i read about the story of David and Bathsheba which is a very well known story. If David had not been lazy and went out to war with the army, he wouldn't have sinned. Not only that, one sin lead to another, which resulted in him having to kill one of his loyal soldiers Uriah. Poor guy did nothing wrong, but had to end up being killed. 2 Samuel 11:27, it states that what David did displeased the Lord. I know i don't want to anything that displeases the Lord! Not that because it is sin, but knowing that how much God loves us, and how much we hurt Him when we do things like that. I want to be pleasing to God.
Just something nice i read in Psalm 20
4 May He grant you according to your heart’s desire,
And fulfill all your purpose.
5 We will rejoice in your salvation,
And in the name of our God we will set up our banners!
May the LORD fulfill all your petitions.
6 Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed;
He will answer him from His holy heaven
With the saving strength of His right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
Amen! May we remember and trust in the name of the Lord our God, because we are His anointed!
You paid the price
When You laid down Your life
The sacrfice
You alone had to bear
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
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study..study..study.. last week of uni, and 1 week of swot vac before exams! Gonna do well this semester to glorify God's name!
Day 117.
Read Psalm18, and 144 as part of devotion. With Psalm 18 being repeated in 2 Samuel 22. A very nice psalm of David just praising God and saying who God is. What stood out to me was psalm 18:25-30.
25 With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful;
With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;
26 With the pure You will show Yourself pure;
And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.
27 For You will save the humble people,
But will bring down haughty looks.
28 For You will light my lamp;
The LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
29 For by You I can run against a troop,
By my God I can leap over a wall.
30 As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the LORD is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
The first part talks about us being rewarded for what we do, like sowing and reaping. I like how it is said that with the blameless, and the pure, God will show Himself blameless and pure as well. So how we see God will determine on our actions and what we do. It's like an aim to work towards, to be a merciful, blameless, and pure person, so that we will see God in that same way as well. Then i really liked v29, it says "By my God I can leap over a wall"!! Haha, i was pretty shocked when i first read it, never expected to see that appear in the Bible with the wordings like that. Im guessing that in that context the 'wall' is a form of obstacle that is blocking us from moving forward or going somewhere.. in the first part of the verse talks about running against a troop. So anyway, we all have walls in our lives, and right here int his verse it specifically tells us that with God we are able to leap over the wall, to overcome it, and to breakthrough it! Hmmm it might be just me, but that verse really struck me when i first read it.
Lastly, psalm 144:15
15 Happy are the people who are in such a state;
Happy are the people whose God is the LORD!haha we are meant to be happy people! It is said so in the Bible as well! Happy are the people who are in such a state, means those who are blessed by God, which is all of us! And happy are the people whose God is the LORD! that is all of us who believe in Jesus as well! We're meant to be happy people! Not many Christians show that though. We bow our knees,
At the feet of Your cross
We lay our lives,
To the will of our God
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
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arggh road block! cmon me get over it..
Day 116.
Read about more of David's great victory over the various armies, and how God was with him and delievered the enemies into David's hand. Then read about all the great people that were with David, who were with him all the time in his battles. First there were the Three, who i think were the highest rank in the army, then after them were the Thirty, who were also great fighters. In all of David's battles, he never went in alone to fight.. sure he had God's help, but with him in the battles were also his warriors who helped him and supported him to the position of king over Israel. In the same way, Jesus had His twelve, then following that he had the 72 which he sent out later on. As we can see from the Bible, around every great leader, always will be great warriors that they can rely, depend, and trust on. To fight in a war, you would have to depend on the person beside and behind you to cover and protect you, David trusted in these men, and because of that he managed to rise up to the position and calling that God had for him. We likewise need to find for ourselves people who are strong, and capable, and trustworthy, who we may fight this war with. God has placed such people in our lives, and all we need to do is to listen to God and follow His promptings.
Monday, October 27, 2008
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I've gotta be the stronger influence, i mustn't let the people around me affect the way i think or feel! I must stand strong and firm on the character of Christ in me and not be easily swayed by what other's opinion or the the way they act are.. It's so easy to be influnced by the things of this world and not of God, by the tv, by common cultures or traditions that we have been brought up with. Even for Christians both old and young, many have been too used to the world that we're living in and have unknowingly one way or another been wrapped up or entangled by the things of this world. Many churches, and friends that are i have who are Christians, they call themselves Christians and seem mature and know so much about the Bible, yet by the life that they live, they fail to see that they have become part of this world.. following the cultures, traditions, and trends that people of this world follow. We are called to be God's holy people, set apart for Him, and our actions speak louder than words. We can preach to others and teach others all these great things about the Bible and how to live life, but if the next moment we're spotted doing what everyone else is, we will lose all respect and credibilty. You don't see pastors giving a great sermon on a sunday service at church, and the next day find him at a bar or pub drinking.. it just doesn't match, and they don't go together. How we act and what we do should be influnced only by one person and one thing, that is Jesus and the Bible. Jesus never went to parties to get drunk, He never gambled, and never fooled around with people.. All He ever did was to do the work of His father, and spent every moment of His life training up disciples.
We need to have a total brainwash and renewal of mind, to forget and erase everything that we have been taught by this world and brought up with, especially all these traditions and cultures that we were brought up with. The only tradition and culture we should keep and follow is the one from the Bible, and nothing else.
Oh God, help me to love You like You have loved me, because when i have truly loved You with the love that You have. Because then everything that i do for You will be easy, because i would love the things that You love, and find joy in the things that You find joy in. Teach me Your ways, that i may live a life full of Your purpose.
Day 115.
David wanted to build a house for the ark of God to be in, but God spoke to the prophet Nathan who then spoke to David saying that David will not be the one to build God a house, but instead on of his sons will build the house instead. When David heard that, he started giving thanks to God for all the things that God had done for him, and all the promises that God had said He would do for his house in the future. All that God has promised to do for Israel and David was fulfilled, God will do what He says, and His promises will always come to fulfillment.
Psalm 2:10-12
10 Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
11 Serve the LORD with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.
Yes! Blessed are those who put their trust in Him! We are blessed because our trust IS in God!
A good verse for our church! Isaiah 54:2
2 “ Enlarge the place of your tent,
And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings;
Do not spare;
Lengthen your cords,
And strengthen your stakes.
Forever i am Yours, and You are mine..
Sunday, October 26, 2008
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Sunday, a great day! Church was great, except for bilingual worship which the congregation seemed pretty dead to me.. I didnt even hear any noise coming from them, not sure if it's because we sounded bad?
Day 114.
Wow didn't know that some stuff in psalms were repeated in 1 Chronicles. Anyway Psalm 105
1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
2 Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
3 Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD!
4 Seek the LORD and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
5 Remember His marvelous works which He has done,
His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,
6 O seed of Abraham His servant,
You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!
v3-5 are great verses! How very true.. Read about the story of Michal despising David because he was dancing to the Lord in front of everyone, and because of that, she never gave birth after that! So because she despised David, who was a man of God, she got taken care by God. So when we are obedient to God, He will take care of us! God's side is always the winning side!
hmmm worshipnet this morning was good. Everyone got a chance to rededicate their lives to God once more, and it was really good because every made it a public declaration through their prayer to God. Everyone prayed individually, and prayed from their hearts, just telling God their hearts desire and really casting all else aside and humbling themselves. Everyone in the room this morning was all family, and it was really good to see that the level of trust and tranparency that is in the worshipnet is growing. It's also good to know that everyone is on the same page with the same goal/aim, and with a strong desire in their heart to really just give their life to God. Thank God that His anointing is on the team, because the anointing is not something that can be substituted. As for me, i made it clear and said what i wanted to say to God, not just individually, but publicly to the whole net as well, so that they can hold me accountable. I realised that many times whenever we pray alone, it is always not as effective as when you pray as a group. The people in the group are there to help/support us, and at the same time keep us accountable. I'm not too sure if what i even prayed for even made sense this morning because i was just blurting stuff that just came from my heart, but the one thing i knew for sure, was that when i was praying i lost all conciousness of me being in a room of people, and i really felt as though it was just me and God. It felt as though for once i was being honest to myself, and just ignoring everything around me.. If you can't even be honest to God at church among fellow brothers and sisters, then where else can you be honest to God?
I really miss those times where it's just God and i, and His presence was just so strong that you just feel His love wrapping you and engulfing you. But that is the most secure and safe place that you'll ever find yourself to be.. the joy that you experience is unspeakable because it is just so overwhelming, and it just puts a huge smile on your face. That is the place where i rather be for all my days, and that is the place where i long to be found.
Jesus i need You.
Day 113.
The ark is being restored back to it's rightful place, and how else does David do it but by leading it with praise and worship to God! It is recorded many times in the Bible where music and singing were the ones that were leading the way in the front, and there were trumpets, cymbals, and the playing of harps and lyres! What better way is there to usher in the presence of God but with worship! The picture that is painted in the Bible is a very joyful one, with people singing, shouting, jumping, and dancing, a picture of celebration! That's why when we go to church we always start with praise and worship? An important thing is that David specifically hand picked and chose the musicians. The musicians were people who were specially appointed by the leaders, just like how the Levites were appointed by God. So the people in the worshipnet, the people who lead the others into worship, they have an important role to play, they to be appointed to be a worship leader!
And one thing for the people in the worshipnet, we have to be good at what we do, we are required to be skillful!
1 Chron 15:22
Chenaniah, leader of the Levites, was instructor in charge of the music, because he was skillful;
To finish, Psalm 68:35, a verse which i find very nice
35 O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places.
The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people.
Blessed be God!
Saturday, October 25, 2008
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Day 112.
Wherever God dwells, He will bless! David decided to move back ark back, and so they began the process of transporting it back. Then the oxen that was carrying it stumbled, and Uzzah reached out to hold the ark.. but then God's anger burned against him and struck him dead on the spot! I think anyone would have reached out to hold onto the ark to prevent it from falling though.. Learnt that it's not just important to look out for what we see or what we say, but it is also important to look out for what we touch! Uzzah got struck down because of his error, but it seemed like some kind of innocent mistake!! Anyway, wherever God is, there He will bless. So the ark of God was moved to the house of Obed-edom, and the Lord blessed him, his family, and all that he had! How great isit to be blessed by the Lord! I think everyone wants to be blessed by God, and the way of being blessed is when we have God dwelling within us! Not just anywhere within us, but for God to take the center stage and the top priority in our lives too!
Friday, October 24, 2008
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Cmon me! What am i doing??! it time to pull up those socks!
Day 111.
David continues to expand his territory, and his army grows and he continues to become more powerful. Why? Because the Lord of Hosts was with him! Hallelujah! Read the passage about David pouring out the cup of water, and reading it reminded me of the sermon back at one of the hillsong electives. It's all by God and For God!
Psalms 93
1 The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The LORD is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
2 Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting.
3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD,
The floods have lifted up their voice;
The floods lift up their waves.
4 The LORD on high is mightier
Than the noise of many waters,
Than the mighty waves of the sea.
5 Your testimonies are very sure;
Holiness adorns Your house,
O LORD, forever.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
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Day 110.
David becomes king over Israel, and under his command, Israel unites! David's path to becoming was definitely a long and hard one. God made a promise with David when he was young and still a boy, and the promise was only fulfilled after many many years. Even then the path that David had to take in order to get to where God had promised him was a very tough path where he had to go through many difficulties and circumstances, many times with him on the run for his life and not knowing whats gonna happen next. But David trusted in God and made sure that he was righteous in all that he did, and because he endured and held on to God's promise, he made it to become the king of all Israel.
God has great plans for our lives, and whenever we hear of God's great calling over our life we always get exicited and happy.. It's definitely a good thing to know God's call over one's life, and know that each one of us is destined for greatness.. but people always tend to overlook and conveniently forget that in order to get to where God wants them to be, they have to work towards it. We know our goal and finishing line, but do we know about the path we're meant to take in order to get there? Are we willing to pay the price that needs to be paid? David was called to be the king of Israel from a very young age, and after that for the next 20-30 years his life was a mess of ups and downs. The path that David took was a very demanding path, but David accepted it and stood focused on the goal. If we were to go through the same amount of hardships, and endure the same duration that David had to wait in order to see our calling come to fulfilment, will we be like David? David gave up everything he had, his family, friends, wife, comfort, and lots more things that he could have gotten by just staying at his father's house. But David decided to rise up to the calling that God had for him, and allowed himself to be tested and trained by God. Will we let God take away everything we have for his purpose? Do we know about the path we're meant to be taking?
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
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wooo passion was in sydney tonight and they had a concert! xohn went for it and he's totally pumped now, so praise God! Lots of crazy christians around the world who are just nuts for Jesus, watching passion or hillsong videos really just show us that there are many people who are so on fire for God, and that we are not alone! There's a whole world out there that needs to be saved, and at the same time, there is a whole generation that is out there trying to save the world.
Day 109.
David becomes the king of Judah! And he was only 30 years old when he became king. so young! What came as a shock was when the guy who brought david the news of Saul's death and the Israelites defeat got killed by david, because the same man was the one who helped Saul end his life. David killed him because he killed the Lord's anointed. One thing im not too sure about is that even when God had left Saul, David still recognized Saul as the Lord's anointed.. is that right? Didn't the anointing move from Saul to David?
Anyway David sang a song of lamentation, and what he wrote about Jonathan was pretty cool..
1 Samuel 1:26
26 I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan;
You have been very pleasant to me;
Your love to me was wonderful,
Surpassing the love of women.haha.. liked the last line, how he called Jonathan's love one that surpasses that of a women.. That must have been pretty crazy, but the love they had for one another was genuine and definitely something special! Then there's God's love for us, which is far greater than anyone can ever give or experience! Do we truly understand the love of the Father?
had a long day of uni, and it's just gonna get longer! Thank God that i have Him in my life, don't know what i'll do without Him.. Just something interesting, i realised that today i saw some of the people who went for the miracle encounter to get healing. e.g im 99% sure i saw the lady who came in the wheelchair who got shot in the back, i know she was healed at the encounter and left the first night walking.. but i saw her again today on my way to the bus stop, and she was back in her wheelchair! Not sure what happened.. Then i saw one of victor's blind friends who came to the miracle encounter, and i met Joe who had the stuttering problem. They all seem to still have their problems.. I realised how important it is to maintain the healing that you got, definitely gotta learn more about it.
Day 108.
God continues to lead and guide David. When Ziklag was raided by the Amalakites, David consulted God and God helped him to gain back all that was taken from him. Even when his life was being threatened by his own soldiers, the first thing David did was to turn to God. David walked close with God and as a result, he was blessed. Then there was Saul, who had turned away from God. When the Philistines had gathered to fight agaisnt Israel, Saul saw their camp and became afraid and trembled. Only when Saul was in great trouble and in need, then he remembered God and turned to Him for help, but God didn't answer Him. Why was that? Even Saul knew that the Lord had turned away from him, in his unfaithfulness God removed the kingship out of Saul's hand and into David's. Saul managed to get to Samuel's spirit through a medium (which i thought was pretty weird), and consulted Samuel. At the end, Samuel told Saul that the day after, he and his sons will be killed, and the Lord will hand Israel's army over to the Philistines. What God gives, He can take it away. This can be seen many times throughout the whole Bible. So lesson learnt, we have to treasure what we have been given, and not to lose what God has blessed us with. If we have been given something special from God, like a talent, or skill, or ability, we must make to use it the way God wants us to use it, and not take it for granted. If not God might just take it away from us one day, and then we will regret it.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
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Alright exams are coming up! I'm gonna be ahead of it this time!
Day 107.
David spares Saul's life again today for a second time. David said "who can lift a hand against the Lord's anointed and be blameless?" Daviddespite having God with him, knew where he stood, and understood the authority that God palced over him. Even when he was staring right in the eye of the root of his problems, David still had his morales and trust in God. And instead of staying in Israel where he knew that Saul would search for him, David moved into the Philistine land where he knew that Saul would not search for him. In the process, he gained favour with the king of the Philistines, and not only that, God helped him grow his army when he was in Ziklag. God took care of David every step of the way, and why? because David followed everything that God asked him to do, and was righteouss in all that he did.
1 Chronicles 12:22
22 For at that time they came to David day by day to help him, until it was a great army, like the army of God. May that be for our church too! May we get people coming to us day by day, until we become a great army, because we are the army of God!
Saturday, October 18, 2008
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Seated at Your throne
Your majesty
You gave it all
You gave it all
You rule and reign
You're victorious
Above all
Above all
You bore cross
For all our sin and shame
You paid it all
You paid it all
Lifted high to life
For all to see
You're glorified
You're glorified
Day 106.
So lesson i learnt today, David had the chance to kill Saul, the person who has been chasing after his life for ages, and making his life horrible. A normal person would think that God has definitely delievered Saul to David, and because of that David should take that chance and end Saul's life, in the process making life easier for himself. David did nothing wrong, and was a righteous person. On the other hand, Saul was like the total opposite, being moved by pride and jealousy, and because of that took advantage of his power and took the lives of many. I would say killing Saul would have been a favour to the Israelites, and to everyone else! But David's reaction was one that was hard to see coming, he ended up sparing Saul's life because he continued to see Saul as the king of Israel, and someone who God placed over him. David made a decision to submit to Saul, even when Saul was after his life when he did nothing wrong. Now that would take a lot of courage i would say.. Not many people in that same situtation would do the same thing though.. But if David could even submit to the bad authority placed over him, there should be no problem for us to submit to the good authority that has been placed over us. We have been blessed, and let us take our blessing to a further step by submitting to those that God has placed over us. There is always ultimately only 1 leader.
Friday, October 17, 2008
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Isit time for us to take off yet? We always gear up when there are events, but when are we actually gonna gear up into top speed and take off?
Day 105.
Psalm 31(random verses)
1 In You, O LORD, I put my trust;
Let me never be ashamed;
Deliver me in Your righteousness.
2 Bow down Your ear to me,
Deliver me speedily;
Be my rock of refuge,
A fortress of defense to save me.
3 For You are my rock and my fortress;
Therefore, for Your name’s sake,
Lead me and guide me.
4 Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,
For You are my strength.
5 Into Your hand I commit my spirit;
You have redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.
19 Oh, how great is Your goodness,
Which You have laid up for those who fear You,
Which You have prepared for those who trust in You
In the presence of the sons of men!
20 You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence
From the plots of man;
You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion
From the strife of tongues.
21 Blessed be the LORD,
For He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city!
22 For I said in my haste,
“I am cut off from before Your eyes”;
Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications
When I cried out to You.
23 Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints!
For the LORD preserves the faithful,
And fully repays the proud person.
24 Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the LORD.
Jesus lives in me :)
Day 104.
So Saul is really determined to kill David no matter what.. He learns about the priest who gave David some bread, a sowrd, and inquired of God for him, and then judged the priest as conspiring agaisnt him along with David. Just because of that, Saul punished the priest and his father's whole family by killing them. Did Saul have no respect for God at all? Killing the priest, which was God's anointed people, and not only that, his whole family as well.. was Saul not scared of getting punished from God? Saul was too caught up and got blinded by the problem infront of him, that he forgot all about the things around him. It's like standing right in front of this wall, and not being able to see anything else but the wall. And Saul was soo focused on getting that wall out of the way, that he totally forgot about God. All i've been reading is Saul chaing after David, in pusuit of him, trying to take his life.. Saul had a very strong determination, too bad it was placed on the wrong things. One interesting is that when David was constantly running away from Saul, what he found comfort and security in was writing songs. Many of the psalms that David wrote, im guessing is written when people are after his life, because we can see that from the psalms. Writing songs were like David's source of strength and hope, and many of them are really meaningful too.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
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blehh everything seems so distant and far.. where has all my hope gone to.. why does everything seem so dull all of a sudden..
OK prepration for exam prep is done! now to start the exam prep.. I've got about a month before the exams, which gives me 4 weeks for 4 subjects. If i divide it equally, i have 1 week for a subject, but since my weekends are usually gone, i have 5 days for each subject - not including uni which will be on at the same time! Arrgghh time seems to be getting shorter and shorter!
Day 103.
I'm just amazed at the friendship that David and Jonathan had. David trusted Jonathan with his life, and Jonathan loved David as he loved himself. They shared the their burdens with one another, and did everything they could to help the other out. Many times David had to trust and depend on Jonathan to see how Saul was doing, and to decide what his next step was.. Jonathan even almost got killed once by his father for trying to help David escape. The friendship that i am reading about is just so pure, and something that is just so whole. When David had to flee his country, Jonathan and him met for the last time, and they kissed each other and wept with each other..you don't see many guys doing that, you won't even see many friends do that. But both Jonathan and David knew that it was gonna be their last meeting that they'll have for a long while, and the thought of having lose a friend by their side must have been a really big thing for both of them. Just that scene of them weeping together because of their love for each other and the value of their friendship just seems so genuine and moving.. That's what i would call a real friend, someone who is literally there through thick and thin, and someone who would love you with as much as they love themselves, till the extent of even risking their own life for yours. David and Jonathan is a great example of what true friendship is, but a pity but such friendships are so rare nowadays.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
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It's time to keep both my physical and spiritual body fit! A weak soldier is of no use in a war!
Day 102.
So Saul is after David's life even though David didn't do anything wrong. God blessed David greatly, and the Spirit of the Lord was upon him. Whenever David went out to war, he would always return with a great victory because the Lord was on his side, and as a result, his fame increased throughout the land. Saul became jealous of David even though he was the king, and thus decided to kill David on many occasions. David writes multiple Psalms regarding protection from the Lord against his enemies, and the worst thing is that people are coming after his life even when he did nothing wrong. David was literally running for his life, not just on one occasion, but many times. But obviously in God, we find the greatest security we can ever find. Everytime David would turn to God, and God would deliver him. When we reach a dead end and have no where else to go or turn to, can our confidence be found in God? Will we have such faith and trust in God like David did? And literally trust God with our lives? I still find it interesting how David gets into trouble because the Lord is with him and blesses him.. usually i would think that the opposite would happen.
What doesn't breaks us, makes us! Nothing starts off perfect and smooth, it's only as we go through a series of tough refining processes till we end up being ready to be displayed. I pray that as we grow together as a church, that when problems arise, we will learn from it. Not just individually, but together as a family, with love and care, the way Jesus would teach us. It's these things that will unite us, cause us to grow closer, and stronger as we learn more about one another, and go through hardships together. God has GREAT plans for our church! No doubt. But to get there, a price has to be paid!! Are we ready for the change at our current stage? God will not give us something that we won't be able to handle.. and God will know when we're ready. So till then, we have to get things right in our lives, and with our church. To fix all problems, and outstanding issues. Then we can blast off!
Just wanna write down something pretty interesting that happened to me today.. So i was in this tutorial room doing some study and listening to music, killing time till it was my tutorial which starts at 4.10pm. At around 3.30, i got pretty tired so decided to take a short nap.. So with the music still going on in my ears, i somehow managed to sleep, and i think i was pretty tired because i slept pretty deep without even hearing the music in my sleep which was pretty loud. Then all of a sudden, i heard my name being called twice by someone behind me.. it wasn't loud and clear or anything because the music was still going on, and i was half asleep. So it just registered in my head that there was someone behind me calling me. Then i stopped, and thought for a bit.. i was alone in this tutorial, and none of my friends know i'm here, so why would there be someone behind me calling my name? So i immediately woke up and spun my head around to see who it was.. and to my surprise there wasn't anyone there! So i was pretty puzzled because i was sure i heard someone calling me.. Then i looked at the time, and it was 4.02pm! woah just in time for my tute, and I would have missed it if i slept any longer! So i came to the conclusion that God must have woken me up from my nap by either calling me, or by making me seem as though there was someone was calling me. haha praise God for that!
Day 101.
David was awesome from young, even as a youth! He killed lions, and bears while looking after his father's sheep, and as a youth he managed to kill the great Goliath! You don't really see any youths nowadays killing lions and bears with their bare hands, so he must have been really strong. And it must've been pretty amazing, for a mere youth who looks after sheep to be able to defeat Goliath who was terrorizing and oppressing the great Israelite army who had won many battles before! This shows that age doesn't matter in the equation of greatness! What matters though, is if the Spirit of God is upon that person. Throughout the Bible, all the great people who did amazing things in God's name, all had the Spirit of God with them. They also had utter dependence and trust in God. David knew that he needed God, and many times he prayed to God for protection and deliverence from his enemies in Psalms. Even as a young man, David had great wisdom, and courage, and was greatly blessed by the LORD. As he was faithful with the little like looking after his father's sheep, God knew that he would be faithful with much, and so when the time was right, God raised him up to be a mighty man of God! David was a true shepard, and in Psalms 23:1, he recognized God as his shepard.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
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eeep.. tonight got a bit ugly :S Hope everyone can get over it.. Need God to speak to everyone and clear things up! And for God to shut the mouths of those out there who are just causing trouble or sowing discord.
Day 100!
So yesterday because Saul was afraid of his soldiers, and obeyed them instead of God. He rejected the word of the LORD, and because of that, the LORD rejected him. So now a new king was required to be found, and that person was David! God brought Samuel to find David, and anointed him. Right after David was anointed, the Bible states that the Spirit of the LORD took control of David from that day forward. Before this happened, because David was the youngest, Samuel had a look at his older brothers first, and one of the explanations that God gave to Samuel for not picking one of the older brother was this: 1 Samuel 16:7
7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
It's good to know that God looks at the heart, and not by physical stature. It is very easy to judge people according to their physical stature, especially when you meet a new person you would scan him physically and you would decide in your mind what sort of person he's gonna be. But God's different, He looks at the heart, and the heart is all that God is concerned about. I pray for eyes that will see what God sees, that i will look at people's hearts, and not just their physical being.
Then there was the story of David and Goliath, where David delivers food to his older brothers at the camp. What's cool was when he called Goliath and uncircumcised Philistine, and asked who he was that he should defy the armies of the living God! David knew who he was and who his God was. David knew of the great power and works that God did for Israel in the past, and he believed in them. He called the army of Israel, the army of the living God! David was very confident, and full of faith, despite the fact being the youngest boy in the family. We have to realize that we still are the army of the living God, and do armies do? They fight in wars! So we are fighting in God's army, where victory has already been guranteed!
wooo another long day, but had fun!
Saturday, October 11, 2008
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looooong day today.. a test at uni, then had to practice drummz then yaf, which ended exceptionally late today.. But we watched the relationship session from the miracle encounter, part 1 of it, which was Ps Victor teaching, and i think it was really good for the yaf'fers to hear it since it's pretty relevent to the younger generation. Q&A session after that was good as well, learnt lots of stuff through other people's questions.. we should have more of these practical sorta stuff more often, it's really useful especially for christians who still don't know so much about the Bible and God's view and so many things. Looking forward to this weekend and church!
Day 98.
Saul saves the people who lived in Jabesh-gilead from the Ammonites who attacked them, and after that happens, the people of Israel rejoice over their victory. Then they decided that Saul should be the king over them and they renewed his kingship. Funny how people won't recognize you until you've done something for them? But then further on, Saul fights agaisnt the Philistines, and because they start to lose, many of the Israelites start to desert him, even his own soldiers. Interesting how people forget so fast about the things you did for them in the past.. When Saul did good, they rejoiced, but once he was down, they start to lose their hope. Similarly, many times we forget of all the things that God has done for us in the past whenever we reach a road block, or a dead end. Are we grateful for a second, then ungrateful the next? God did the ultimate sacrifice for us on the cross, and nothing can top that. Have we forgetten all the pain, shame and sorrow he took on our behalf?
Friday, October 10, 2008
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Hmm sometimes i wonder if i even know what i'm really praying for.. i've realised that i've prayed many prayers, asking God for many things. But do i really know what i asked for? do i know what i'm getting myself into by praying those prayers? It came to me that some of the prayers that i prayed for, weren't answered, and because of that i am grateful. I have prayed many 'stupid' prayers i would say, many times not realizing that God has something much better installed for me, and that He has a perfect plan for my life. Many times i've tried to take 'control' over my life by asking God to give me this, or place me in this situtaion so this thing will happen to me, thinking that at that point in time it was the best thing for me. But as time slowly goes on, God begins to reveal to me that the things that i prayed for, were actually quite foolish, because what i thought was best for me, God had something much more planned! Some of the things that we pray for, we know the consequence and what the end result will be, so we have counted the cost and decided that we want it, so we pray to God about it. But do we really know what we are praying for, and when God actually gives us what we want, will we be able to handle it? e.g we can pray for a new job with better pay and etc.. but when we end up with that job, we realize that it even though we get paid more, it ends up stuffing up our personal life and our spiritual walk with God. How? It would require more time, which would lead to more stress, and maybe even isolating ourselves from fellow brothers and sisters, and slowly before you know it, it even stops us from coming to church! For me i'm just glad that some of my prayers were not taken seriously, because i can see that only God knows what the future will be like, and that His plan for me is ultimately the best plan. So if we ever want anything, we always gotta ask God about His opinion first.
Day 97.
Wow.. read about how Samuel anoints Saul as king. And the whole story just seems so amazing, because Samuel was so in tune with God, and said everythingwith such precision and accuracy. The directions given were so clear, and obvious that it is not made up from man, but definitely from God. This is something that seems to be rare these days, i don't know anyone who can do such a thing. Samuel must have had great faith to be able to confidently say what God is telling him, and believing without any doubt that it will come true. I pray that i will be able to do the same one day.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
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Uni is back, and gotta get back into studies.. just 4 more weeks till the exams, then it's holidays!! There are BIG plans for the end of year, and i can't wait to get cracking into it!
Day 96.
Read about Samson today, and boy was he tank! God was surely with him, because he managed to do things that were impossible for humans, and only possible with God. He killed a looot of Philistines, and whenever he killed them, it is recorded that it was a great slaughter! Which means that he absolutely killed them, sometimes even tearing the Philistines from limb to limb. On another occasion he killed 1,000 Philistine men with a jawbone of a donkey! Is that even possible? And even after that, after taking on a 1,000 men with a donkey's jawbone, most people would have died from the injuries that they received, but Samson was different..all he needed was some water. In the Bible it was recorded that God split a hollow place in the ground and water came out of it,(that is surely God in action) then Samson drank, and his strength returned and he was revived! That's definitely not normal.. Again on another occasion, Samson ripped out a city gate and everything that was on it, and carried it to the top of a mountain.. Another example of his montrous strength which obviously cannot be coming from a mere human. Then his last display of great strength was when he pushed down the two middle pillars that were supporting the temple where the Philistines were gathered, and as a result caused the whole temple to fall, killing everything inside it, including himself. All these acts of Samson were clearly not capable for a man to do it alone, Samson had the LORD with him, and he knew it too. He knew where his power was coming from, and he also knew that God was the one giving it to him. Because right before his death, he prayed to God asking God to strengthen him once more.
Do these things still happen today? Is there a possibility that God may still strengthen people in this way? Would He though?
It's also amazing how God gave Samson a second chance by letting his hair grow back, despite Samson being foolish and ended up digging his own grave.. God forgave and gave a second chance, and He still does today!
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
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For You [edited-1]
V1.For You are God of all
For You created all
For You are Lord of all
For You regin in all the earth
V2.For You are lifted high
For You gave a way to life
For You are to be crowned
For You gave Your only son
Pre.For You we'll lift up our hands
For You we'll lay down our lives
For You we'll offer our all
So be exalted in this place
Ch.Great is Your name
Be glorified in all the earth
For great is Your name in all the earth
So great is Your name
Be magnified in all the earth
For great is Your name in all the earth
Day 95.
The Philistines fought with the Israelites, and the Israelites lost, and in the process the ark of the covenent of God was captured by the Philistines. However, because the ark of the covenent was captured by the Philistines, wherever they brought the ark, there was great trouble and oppresion, because wherever the ark was, God's hand was agaisnt. The ark of the covenent of God represented God's presence, because wherever the ark was, God would be also. So when the ark was moved from where it should be to a place where it shouldn't be, God would just move it back. And for God to do that, He doesn't need anyone to help Him. We can see that from the moment the ark was taken from the Israelites, God didn't use anyone, or anything to cause trouble for the Philistines, He Himself used His hand to cause trouble among them, to the point that they wanted to get rid of it instead. The Philistines realized how dangerous it was to fool around with the ark, and ended up returning the ark back to the Israelites along with a guilt offering. We must not fool around with God's presence and His glory. One thing that's weird is that, the Philistines knew that God was more powerful than their fake god dagon, and if that was the case, why didn't they start worshipping the real God who has the real power, but instead continue worshipping their fake god who could do nothing?
Monday, October 6, 2008
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fwah!! What a great end to the miracle encounter with such a good teaching on relationships! Ps Victor and Ps Judith both are very anointed pastors who definitely know their stuff..Everything they teach is literally from the Bible, and they don't believe in anything else BUT the Bible! Today's seminar on relationships was soooooo good! They are really really good teachers, and the way they bring their message across is just so simple and powerful too..i mean the seminar today could have been for anyone! They taught us strictly on how to find a future husband/wife, the way the Bible does it, and the way that God wants us to. They don't believe in such things as girlfriends/boyfriends because not once isit mentioned in the Bible. They don't believe in anything, BUT what the Bible says. And according to scriptures, only men and women get married.. there's no place for boys and girls to get married. e.g only those who are mature enough, not just physically, but in their character and attitudes as well. Another thing is that men, are meant to look for their wives because it is said so in the Bible, and women are not meant to go around looking for their husbands.(have to listen to the recording again to hear the context)
Proverbs 18:22
22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing,
And obtains favor from the LORD.
Some of the other things i learnt was that the future husband/wife should always be found within the house of God, and must be from God. How do we know if it's from God? God reveals it to us in different ways, but for Ps Victor and Ps Judith, God revealed to Ps Victor everything about the women he was about to marry through a dream..e.g birthplace, age, height, and lots of other personal information. So Ps Victor was the one who went to look for Ps Judith, and not the other way round. Another way to tell if the person is meant to be for you is by checking their callings, because both callings should be able to compliment each other as the husband is meant to help the wife and vice versa. But to first start looking for a wife, a guy must first start by prayer and fasting, and be serious about it. If all else fails, they said to go speak to the pastors of the church, haha..Last thing, no where isit said in the Bible that a men and women must go on 'courtship' for many years to see if the person is sutable for them, or is actually their partner. Because once God reveals it to you, and has been confirmed, they should get married as soon as possible, because the longer they take to get married, the more they tempt the flesh to sin. There is no need to wait for a long time to see if the other person is suitable, because we have been called to live by faith, and that means trusting in God and doing whatever He says. Last last thing, marriage is a very sacred thing in God's eyes, because in the Bible the word 'Holy' is only mentioned on two occasions.. which is the Holy Spirit, and Holy matrimony.
There's a lot lot lot more stuff which i missed out because it was too many new things for me to absorb all at once, but it definitely was a great teaching session. Might even be the best that i've heard so far actually.. Just on a random note, people say that love is blind, but that is not true. Because God IS love, and if love is bind, that means God is blind, and is God blind? NO! So the statement love is blind, is false! Love is a decision, not a feeling. Such powerful stuff!!!!
Day 94.
Samuel grows up in the temple of God, and hears God's voice for the first time. The Bible records that Samuel first experienced God, he was still a boy, so it possible for God to speak to kids even though we don't see it very often nowadays. This is a very familiar passage, where God calls Samuel one night, and Samuel thinks that it is Eli who is calling him, and he runs to Eli. Then Eli sends him back saying he didn't call him.. and this happens two more times. On the third time, Eli tells him to say "speak Lord, for Your servent is listening". And without fail, God spoke to Samuel on the third time. All these things wouldn't have happened if Samuel was lazy, or disobedient, and didn't answer or bother to go when he heard someone call him. I can imagine Samuel being a really obeident guy, even when he heard the same voice calling him 3 times, and all 3 times he thought it was Eli calling him, so he ran to where Eli was. A normal person would probably ignore it after the second time thinking that it's some kind of joke or something. But Samuel all 3 times, ran to Eli, and listened and followed exactly what Eli told him to do. When Eli told him to return, he returned. When Samuel thought Eli was calling him, he ran to Eli immediately. Even when Eli realised that it was God speaking to Samuel, Samuel said the exact words that Eli had told him to say. And because of that obedience that Samuel had, God was able to use him as a vessel, and as a prophet, for His name.
So in the same way, if we want to be used by God, as a vessel for His cause, we need to be obedient, and be willing to do and follow every command that God give us. And as we do that, God will work through us, and fulfil what He says He will do. We can see this in 1 Samuel 3:19.
19 So Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. God will assist us in everything we do, as we do it for Him. As Samuel grew, i believe not just physically, but spiritually as well, the Bible says that the LORD was with him. That is one of the things that i want to see in my life as well, that as i grow, the LORD will be with me in all that i do. And that i will follow in the path that God has set out for me.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
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A looooooooong day today.. but it was great!!! Man so many things are happening and it's all happening so fast! The morning service was good, and was more like a normal service instead of the normal miracle session, but presence of God was definitely there. Then came the anointing serivce at night, which was just soooooo nuts!! The sanctuary was literally packed, till members from our own church had to give up their own seats and come to the overflow room. All four streets around the church was filled with cars, and people had to park quite a distance and walk just to get to church. Oh wow the evening service was amazing.. they anointed every single person who wanted to have a fresh anointing again, and it was oil anointing..so at the end of the service, almost everyone had either an oily forehead, or shiny hairs haha.. But again, the presence of God was definitely in the sanctuary, because it could be felt soo strongly.. People were weeping, some others who had bad spirits in them were reacting to the strong presence of God in the place, and it was just soo crazy. The atmostphere in the place just felt different, and even the non-believers who came, saw, and felt the power of God, and have chosen to believe in Christ! Hallelujah!
I cannot even begin to explain half the stuff that went on over the past few days, because just so much has happened, and especially to me personally, i have just learned a lot and once again have found this like whole new side of what it means to be a child of God. Being a healthy christian isn't easy, and requires work to constantly keep oneself updateded and in tune with the Holy Spirit. However the rewards of that is much greater, and would enable us to lead a victorious and successful life!
On another note, when i went up to get prayed for, to be anointed with the anointing oil, i went up expecting a lot. Like maybe to see some crazy things, or experience this amazing sensation like my body heating up like mad, or have experience something powerful. But when i got up to get prayed for, it lasted for a total of like 10secs. I went up to the alter, stood there for like 3 secs, Ps Judith came by, laid her hand on my head, said a sentence, and left. After that i was pretty confused.. not sure what was wrong.. because i know nothing actually happened, or i didn't feel anything, besides God's presence which was in that place the whole time. I didn't feel any fire, or anything swelling up within me, or any release of power or anything like that. So i thought maybe i was at wrong? But anyway, asked anne what was meant to happen later on, and she said that different people feel different things, and sometimes some people don't feel anything at all, but still get anointed. I later learned that some other people also didn't really feel anything special happened, but as long as we believe and know that the anointing is there, that's all that matters.
It's the last teaching session tomorrow, and it's gonna be a great time of learning on relationships! yay... haha hopefully i'll be able to takeaway stuff from the session tomorrow.
Day 93.
Hannah bears a son Samuel, and after that she writes a song to the Lord in 1 Samuel 2, and i think it's a great song!
1 And Hannah prayed and said:
“My heart rejoices in the LORD;
My horn[a] is exalted in the LORD.
I smile at my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation. 2 “No one is holy like the LORD,
For there is none besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God. 3 “Talk no more so very proudly;
Let no arrogance come from your mouth,
For the LORD is the God of knowledge;
And by Him actions are weighed. 4 “The bows of the mighty men are broken,
And those who stumbled are girded with strength. 5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
And the hungry have ceased to hunger.
Even the barren has borne seven,
And she who has many children has become feeble. 6 “The LORD kills and makes alive;
He brings down to the grave and brings up. 7 The LORD makes poor and makes rich;
He brings low and lifts up. 8 He raises the poor from the dust
And lifts the beggar from the ash heap,
To set them among princes
And make them inherit the throne of glory.
“For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s,
And He has set the world upon them. 9 He will guard the feet of His saints,
But the wicked shall be silent in darkness.
“For by strength no man shall prevail. 10 The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken in pieces;
From heaven He will thunder against them.
The LORD will judge the ends of the earth.
“He will give strength to His king,
And exalt the horn of His anointed.” i loved every single verse becuase it was just so meaningful, and true. This is who our God is, the God we worship and love. There is no one else like Him!
Saturday, October 4, 2008
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"I refuse to be denied of my miracle"
WoooooooW!!! Today was simply just jammed packed with craziness!!! All these priceless knowledge that was taught in the morning, till the point i think my brain was gonna explode!! Never expected that 4 hour(i think) teaching session.. Ps Victor gave a really good sermon, very practical and truthful, and he was really open and blunt saying things just so rawly, and it really made me check myself and realize how much i've actually been under performing as a child of God. One of the things that really hit me from his sermon was when he said that miracles, signs, and wonders are not for christians but for the unbeleivers. A christian/child of God has no right to be sick! If Ps Victor ever saw one of his workers go up to a healing line for healing, he said that it would be their last day working for him, because a true christian would have faith in God and they can pray for themselves to get healed. There are still lots of other stuff that he taught which was really good, but i'll definitely have to listen to the recordings again to fully understand what he said.
Then came Ps Judith, woooow, she was just amazing as well!! Her teaching was soo practical and useful for me especially at a time like this. She taught on spiritual gifts, and i learnt so much from that one sermon alone on spiritual gifts, and realized how vital it is to have them and to actual know about them.Like seriously, after her sermon, people have been coming up to the sound desk and asking if we're gonna be releasing dvd's or recordings of the sermons. They never asked for the miracle sessions, but they asked after the teaching session, and that's how good it was :) That was like learning about spiritual gifts for dummies, because it was so basic, yet so vital. It was also amazingly my first time learning such things, and its just like a revelation that hits you, and stuns you.. That is a must listen for me as well because there is just too much knowledge that can't be overlooked in that sermon.
On a side note, this mornings teaching session somehow reminded me of being back at the hillsong conference. Why? because the presence of God was just in the place as they were preaching, and it just felt like i was back at that certain place, and just drawing as much information as i can. And never stopped being amazed at all these new teachings that i am learning for the first time. It really was as though i was getting fed, and growing spiritually as i learn more new stuff that are actually the vital steps for advancing or growing as a healthy christians. It seems as though being a christian is like climbing this ladder, and the more you learn the higher you climb, and the higher you climb the closer you get to God. And there are some rungs of the ladder that must be stepped on or established before you can move on any further towards God, and i feel as though today i have climbed up that ladder a bit more, and am slowing growing as a normal christian should be.
Day 92.
Abimelech, who was the son of Gideon, did evil in God's eyes and killed many people. At the end he finally died, because God turned the evil that he did back on Him. God is a just God, and we can depend on Him to do justice for us. There is no better judge besides God, so we can trust that whatever God decides for us is the best decision. After that, God sends more judges to come and help deliver Israel from their troubles, even after they continued to do evil and sin agaisnt God. Time after time, God sent judges to help them and to deliever them from their pain and suffering. God was full of mercy and love for the Israelites then, and no matter what they did, or how bad they were, God always ended up saving them, because we know that God is the God that created them and is also a God who loves everyone. It's just great to know that the God we worship is such a forgiving God, who is always waiting to help us out whenever we call on Him. If God can deliver the Israelites, He can also deliver us today no matter what problems or troubles we are facing, because nothing is too big or impossible for God!
Psalm 115
11 You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD;
He is their help and their shield.
12 The LORD has been mindful of us;
He will bless us;
He will bless the house of Israel;
He will bless the house of Aaron.
13 He will bless those who fear the LORD,
Both small and great.
14 May the LORD give you increase more and more,
You and your children.
15 May you be blessed by the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.
Wow ok real quick, tonight was another awesome night! There were lots of things going on in the spiritual realm and it was so different.. Even from in the overflow room, i could just feel the presence of God and the atmosphere change as Ps Victor was ministering. Learning so much and my brain can't take it!! Too much i can learn and so much that needs to be learnt! Even the evil spirits cannot stand God's holy presence. Seeing many new faces in the crowd and seeing some familiar faces that came back from last night, so i guess it's a good sign. And i can't wait for sunday night since it's gonna be an annointing service!! I can just feel it in my bones that, that service will be one crazy one where things are just gonna explode. Something that God gave me as we were doing corporate prayer this evening was: Brace for impact. I know that God is gonna hit us really strong this weekend, and it's gonna be so great that we won't even know what hit us. We have to prepare our hearts to receive what God is gonna give/show/reveal to us.
Day 91.
So Gideon succesfully chases out the midinaites and all of Israelites enemies, and it is recorded in the Bible that they lived in peace for 40 years. They also returned back to God because Gideon pointed them in the right direction. Then we learn that in his lifetime, Gideon had 70 offsprings..which is alot if you think about it.. 70 kids.. wow that's something that is pretty unimaginable.. Then Gideon dies, and not long after, the Israelites return back to Baal worshipping and forget about all the things that God had done for them, and how God delievered them once again. Then Abimelech is introduced, and we learn that he is one of the 70 kids of Gideon, and he ends up killing his other 70 brothers.
Friday, October 3, 2008
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Psalms 100:3
3 Know that the LORD, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
WOW!! What a night!! Ps Victor really is an amazzing guy.. the lame literally walked! But i have a feeling that the best is yet to come! When Ps Victor did the first miracle of making the lady in the wheelchair walk, it caught me offguard and what went through my mind that instant was: woah a miracle already! So fast and and he made it look like nothing at all! And his favourite phrase would be "It's easy!". Haha i love his level of faith, calling everything easy, i wonder if there ever will be anything too difficult for him. The sessions are just gonna keep getting better and better, and i can't to see whats gonna happen at the end of this long weeked! It's gonna be a blast for sure!
What got me thinking abit today was when Ps Victor would go up to a person and ask them what they would like God to do for him/her. Or what they're need was. And i was thinking to myself, what is my need and what would i want God to do for me? What am i realy expecting to get out of the miracle encounter? I'm not there just becuse i need to be, so what is the real reason that i am there for?
Day 90.
Today i read about and got introduced to Gideon! Who later on becomes the chosen one who would deliver Israel from the midianites. The amazing thing is that his family is the weakest in Manasseh, and he is the youngest in his family, but still God chose to use him. It's good to know that God uses the weak and the small to do his great works! Even though we might be weak, or small, but all the more because of this, God will be using us to do His great work, and that in turn is a good thing. There is also the mentioning of the word Shalom, which is found in Judges 6:24. In the version i am reading it is translated as Yahweh Shalom, and in the NKJV it is translated as The-Lord-Is-Peace. The Shalom of God, is the peace of God. The peace that surpasses all understanding! Then at the end of Judges 6, Gideon asks God for confirmation through a pretty amazing miracle. And God never fails. He will do what He says He will do, and we can count on that for sure. For that IS His nature!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
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Maker Of Heaven - Desperation Band
Keep my heart amazed
Let me see Your wonders every day
Teach me in Your ways
So that I may fear
You are walking on water
You are calling me after
You are standing beside me now
You are the Maker of Heaven
You turn my world around
You're making all things new again
Through it all I know
You are God alone
Set my heart on fire
Let me burn
With passion for Your name
Take over my life
I surrender now
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
You are God alone
1 more day!! And the church is gonna EXXPLLOODEE!! Wow.. i can just feel it rising already. It's gonna be one heck of a crazyy weekend, where i am 100% sure that like will NOT be the same after this. Wow, i can't even begin to imagine what crazy things are gonna happen over the weekend. I really pray that eyes will be open, and ears be unblocked. Not just physically, but spiritually.. that the people who come will really start to see who God really is with their spiritual eyes, and understand who God is. I pray for myself and for the church that we will really wake up to what we have been called to be, and to see where we're at, and where God really wants us to be. That we may follow the path that He has set out for us totally, and not move out of it. Because God has much much greater things install for us, but for that to first happen we have make sure that we are where God wants US as a church to be. I pray that after this miracle encounter, there'll just be this exponential growth in the church, not just in numbers, but in terms of the spiritual level and our faith level as a church. For myself, i wanna pray for breakthrough in my faith, that i may see who God really is, and have a much deeper understanding of what God is like. I pray that there will be this fresh outpouring of fire once more, to fan the flames that we already have, and to make it much bigger and much stronger, so that we can burn ever more on fire for God.
Oh God i pray that Your Holy presence will just fall in our church this long weekend, and that You'll reveal to us Your glory and Your power. That You'll just whack us and wake us up, and open our eyes to see who You really are, high and lifted up in your majesty and splendor. Above all troubles, problems, and circumstances. That we will grasp just a little bit of Your greatness and awesomeness, that we will stand in awe of who You really are. King of kings, Lord of lords, Perfect in all Your ways. Have mercy on us O Lord, and have Your way in this church, in our lives, in this weekend, that Your kingdom come, and Your will be done.
So in our lives, be lifted higher
In our lives, be glorified
You're the one who died for me
Gave Your life, to set me free.
Day 89.
Ruth gets shown great kindness by Boaz, and after listening to Naomi, Ruth finds herself marrying Boaz. It's just amazing to see how God is opening doors for Ruth and blessing her. All these blessings only came to her because she was obedient and listened to Naomi, and did everything Naomi told her to do. If Ruth hadn't done that, i don't think it would have been the same outcome. Everything in Ruth's life was pre-arranged by God, and only came to pass becasue Ruth was obedient. Isn't it good to know that our lives are already pre-arranged by God fro greatness! That He is constantly guiding us and opening doors for us, and making our path straight. All that we need to do on our part is to be obedient and do whatever He tells us to do, or wants us to do.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
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God Of Miracles - Planetshakers
Blessed be the Lord, Oh my soul
Lord you are my God, take control
To you I give my life
God its yours
Blessed be the Lord
Blessed be the Lord
It's you
Who heals and forgives
It's you
Jesus I believe
You are God, you are the God of miracles
You're the God that makes me whole
I will worship
I will worship you
Hmm a very good song that popped into my head. Listened to the new Chris Tomlin album and its really good as well, I could really just feel God's presence as i was listening to it. Very powerful and anointed songs.
Got back from work today, and heard some great news from various people who were all so pumped and exciting dying to tell me something amazing that happened. I'm not sure if i got the whole story right but from what i've heard so far, today Ps Catherine healed a blind person at her clinic today by praying for him. It's some pretty amazing news and it's great to know that God is still moving in our church, especially good since we're leading up to the miracle encounter. But if we're really a church that is filled with God's power and presence, shouldn't we be doing crazy miracles and healings all the time? Since God is the God of the impossible after all!
Day 88.
Today Naomi, Ruth and Orpah are introduced. With Naomi being the mother-in-law to Ruth and Orpah. So beacuase both of Naomi's sons, who were Ruth's and Orpah's husbands, died.. Naomi told her 2 daughter-in-laws to leave and go back to their family since she has nothing else to offer them anymore. In the end, Orpah leaves while Ruth was determined, said some cool things, and stayed behind. Ruth 1:
16 But Ruth said:
“ Entreat me not to leave you,
Or to turn back from following after you;
For wherever you go, I will go;
And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;
Your people shall be my people,
And your God, my God. 17 Where you die, I will die,
And there will I be buried.
The LORD do so to me, and more also,
If anything but death parts you and me.” Those are some pretty big words for a widow who has decided to follow another widow who has nothing left, but because of that i really respect her. I'm pretty sure that Ruth would symbolize something, while Orpah, the other sister that left, symbolizes something else. Anyway, whatever the case i guess we should all aim to have such courage and strong determination that Ruth had. I don't know what made her stay, but because she did, later on we'll be able to see the fruit of the bold decision that she made. Bold actions will give bold results.
Just 1 more sleep!
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