Dreams ... and 2010

Today is the last day of 2009. As I reflect on the year gone by, I cannot help but be thankful for the many blessings bestowed by God this year. I thank God for friendships, the Korea silent retreat, iDTS, the Mt. Carmel School of Ministry, the Wesley prayer team, the Cornerstone Community Church, and everyone who has journeyed alongside me in Christ all year. I thank God for stretching me beyond my comfort zone (through my boss, He made me do more public speaking this year than suits my personality ... although I thank Him because I recognise that this training is useful for preaching and sharing my faith and testimony in front of large crowds :P I also thank Him for the inspiration for this blog (which came from the Wesley prayer team) ...

God has a calling on each one of us. This sermon by Lance Wallnau is worth listening to - the synopsis is this:

"Every Christian has an assignment to release God's glory on earth. We are called to be His kings-priests who administer His authority and invade systems. Being an overcomer involves aligning ourselves with God's kingdom purposes on this earth. Overcomers exercise authority to liberate nations and manifest the unseen realm and the glory of the age to come."

What has God called us to do? Sometimes, we get an inkling in what He has gifted us to do, and what we enjoy doing. For me, it's writing. I love to write. I once had a discussion with a friend about what I would love to do in heaven for eternity. Yes, we will worship God forever. But I believe we will also have roles (or assignments), which we do to the glory of God. No, I told my friend, we won't be floating on clouds and playing our harps all day long. So ... what would I like to be doing in heaven? I hope I get to be a scribe. According to Wikipedia, "A scribe is an ancient occupation. A scribe's job involved reading and writing, especially during the Renaissance. Being a scribe meant writing letters, and historical records for kings, nobility, and temples." I would love to be a scribe for the King of Kings, Lord of Lords. To write the prayers of the saints, and the historical records of the goodness of the Lord :) But ultimately, God knows best, so I'll do whatever He assigns me to.

What would you like to do? Please share.

Happy New Year! :)

Your name (Paul Baloche)

Such a beautiful song and video!

The key to spiritual discernment and hearing God's voice

The Wesley prayer team had a gift exchange at our Xmas party two days ago ... being the prayer team, we rightly had to ask God what we should buy! (Urm, this is without the knowledge of who would pick up our gift ... and thus, needs to be Holy Spirit led). This allows us to practice listening to God ... and to know His voice. Anyway, I asked God and had the impression that I was to buy a dartboard. Now, this is totally outside my realm of safe or generic gifts to buy. And I had this nightmare that perhaps a young girl or even one of the ladies in the group might pick this gift, and that I would be gloriously wrong! But thank God ... in the end, a young boy picked it up, and loved it! It made me very happy to know that I made someone's day :) Thank you Father!

Back to listening to God ... my desire is to be able to hear Him acutely and sharply ... so that my prayers can be like a "single stroke of the sword of the Spirit". Or in the case of buying the dartboard, I wouldn't dither and wonder, or have nightmares about whether it's a foolish idea of my own mind or a genuine prompting of the Holy Spirit. How do we come to a place where we know our Father's voice so intimately that we will be fully confident when He speaks?

I came across a very well-articulated answer recently in Sandra Teplinsky's "Israel's Anointing".

How do I know my Father's voice so intimately, and His ways so clearly, that I will have a revelation of Him?

The answer, according to Sandra Teplinsky, is to have a passion for holiness!

"Without holiness, no one will see the Lord." (Hebrews 12:14)

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." (Matthew 5:8)

And this passion for holiness, starts with us knowing God's love, abiding in it, and manifesting it in obedience.

"This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome." (1 John 5:3)

"We have come to know him, if we obey his commands." (1 John 2:3)

Teplinksy writes: "A consummate carrier of the fire of God's love, (the apostle) John is passionate about obedience. Is it coincidental that John receives the most profound single-recorded prophecy in the Bible - the entire book of Revelation? God's love leads to obedience, and obedience leads us to holiness. Love-propelled holiness, in turn, relates dynamically to spiritual discernment and a release of high-level revelation."

Wow! As believers, I think all of us yearn to have spiritual discerment and revelation. The key to unlocking all this - love-propelled holiness. Would it be that we would grow in love-propelled holiness day by day.

God's calling upon our lives

Attended Lea Salonga in concert at the Esplanade this evening, and oh my goodness. What an inspiring performance she gave. I last saw Lea Salonga more than 15 years ago in London, in Miss Saigon. Now she's 38. But wow, what an incredible voice she still has! And as I watched her on stage, I couldn't help but think that God has created her to sing. What immense talent. What a gift!

One of my favourite films is Chariots of Fire ... a true story on Eric Liddell, who chose not to run in his best race - the 100m sprint - in the Olympics of 1924 because it fell on a Sunday. This committed Christian went on to run in the 400m race and win. He was quoted as saying, "I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure."

Lea Salonga was created to sing. Eric Liddell to run. Both bring glory to God with their gifts.

Psalm 139:14 declares, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."

All of us are fearfully and wonderfully made. And each of us was created with unique and distinct traits to bring glory to God. Ps Peter Tsukahira said if we are hungry enough to find the calling God has upon our lives, and if we seek Him about this, He will reveal it to us. Praise God that He is liberal with his gifts towards us!

Ps. One of the songs that Lea sang in concert tonight is "Two Words", which is actually the vows she sang at her wedding. Her husband Rob was so touched, he couldn't stop crying. It's such a beautiful song, I simply have to share it here...

The secret behind prayers that are like "a single stroke of the Spirit"

In Christian/ prophetic circles, the sense is that we are living seriously close to the end days; and that as people of God, we need to arise. To me, that means growing in intimacy with God ... from which flows the anointing from Him to fulfil the purpose for which He has created us. As time is short, each of us in the body of Christ (with our different gifts) needs to be positioned where we can make maximum kingdom impact. And we need to be obedient (meaning brave, faithful, secure in the Lord's ability to hold and help us) when He calls us to an assignment greater than ourselves. In the last days, the darkness will be unprecedented; but so will God's glory ...

Elijah was called to a giant-sized assignment. He was called to a spiritual battle against the false prophets of Baal. He called for a very public showdown at Mt Carmel between the God Almighty and the false Gods that the people of Israel were worshipping.

In a public showdown, where he was clearly outnumbered, Elijah needed to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God would show up. This is what transpired in 1 Kings 18:36-37

"At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again."

Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.

At Mt. Carmel, Ps Peter Tsukahira said something that pierced my heart. He said Elijah's prayer from 1 Kings 18:36-37 was like a "single stroke of the sword of the Spirit" ...

How many of us yearn for this ... that we know so clearly what God's will is for a person or situation that when we pray, it is like a "single stroke of the sword of the Spirit"?

David Davis in his book "The Elijah Legacy" helped to crystallise the secret to Elijah's confidence, and the authority he wielded, at that showdown on Mt Carmel.

He writes: "The courage of Elijah was a great challenge to us. To what can we attribute the courage of a single man publicly standing against an entire nation? We don't know that Elijah was naturally courageous or confrontational. I believe the answer can be found in the prophet's simple prayer on that memorable occasion.

He implored "the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel" to hear and respond to him, because "I have done all these things at Your word" (1 Kings 18:36).

Every word and action of Elijah on that day was dictated and directed by the Lord. God told him specifically what to do - the 12 stones, the trench, all of it. Prophets walk in the power of a word not their own, but from God. "Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path." (Ps 119:105)

The source of Elijah's courage was his absolute obedience to a word from God. He knew that God watches over His word to perform it. The prophet had also been refined for over 3 years since giving his last public prophetic word. In the Lord's economy, purity always precedes power. Elijah heard, obeyed and prayed a simple prayer, and God manifested his presence."

At a superficial level, Elijah seems like one of God's superheroes. One of these men destined for outsized assignments - a rare breed. But actually, what Elijah achieved is not outside what God calls each and everyone of us to do ... which is to know His voice, and be absolutely obedient to a word from God. Every word and action of Elijah on that day was dictated and directed by the Lord. God told him specifically what to do. Prophets walk in the power of a word not their own, but from God.

Were it be that we too, are people who hear God's voice, and only do what He tells us to do. That alone is what enabled Elijah to pray a prayer that was like a "single stroke of the Spirit".

Is it any surprise that God answered?

What God is zealous for

I was listening to Ps Yang's sermon on zeal recently, and the emphasis was on us having zeal for God. But what struck me was this question: What is God zealous about?

If we know what God is zealous about, we will catch a glimpse into what He will fight for...what matters to Him.

A quick search unveiled this:

1. God is zealous for His name. "Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will now bring Jacob back from captivity and will have compassion on all the people of Israel, and I will be zealous for my holy name." (NIV, Ezekial 39:25)

2. God is zealous for Jerusalem. “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘I am zealous for Zion with great zeal; With great fervor I am zealous for her." (NKJV, Zechariah 8:2)

Honestly, I have known God is zealous for His name for a while already. But I was truly surprised when Ps Yang shared that God is zealous for Zion. There are very few mentions in the Bible on what God is zealous about - and Jerusalem figures as one of them! That was new to me. It also made me realise how for many of us (including me), Israel has been peripheral to our faith. Yet, it is clearly central to God, and His heartbeat.

Why is God zealous about Jerusalem?

Because it is the city He has put his name on. Forever. Even when the people failed Him, and the temple was destroyed, and the ark of the covenant removed from the Holy of Holies, one thing did not depart from Jerusalem. God's name.

"Also he built altars in the house of the LORD, whereof the LORD had said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever." (2 Chronicles 33:4) Other verses which say the same thing are: 1 Kings 11:36; 2 Kings 21:4; 2 Kings 21:7; 2 Chronicles 6:6

And because Jerusalem is where Jesus will one day return to rule and reign as Messiah. It is to be where He takes up residence on earth.

This is what the LORD says: "I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain." (Zechariah 8:3)

This didn't hit me until it was taught us in Israel recently.

And now that I'm more sensitive to this, that God is zealous for Jerusalem, am also more awakened to the adversities Israel faces. The attempts to divide up Jerusalem continue... with Sweden leading the latest charge. We need to watch this, and pray against it, because this is clearly not what God intends to happen.

Check out what is happening in the latest headlines.

Standing with Israel

I saw a copy of the latest Foreign Affairs at Kinokuniya yesterday, whilst I was there to pick up some books by Joel Rosenberg and Michael Oren ... the former writes about Israel and the Mid-East conflict from a Christian perspective ... As for Oren, his book "Power, Faith and Fantasy" was recommended as a good primer on US foreign policy viz Israel since times past. (All the books are extremely thick! I hope to get down to them!)

Incidentally, Foreign Affairs is also completely online... and I got sidetracked with a piece in the magazine titled "Is Turkey leaving the West?"

Singaporeans can hardly be called parochial. Because we live in a small, open economy, I think we're pretty well-read about international affairs. But following my recent Israel trip, I guess my reading has now been extended to Mid-East affairs, and not just what's happening in Asia, Europe & the US.

This article in Foreign Affairs was interesting to me. I didn't know that in the past, Turkey and Israel were allies... that in 1998, Turkish newspapers wrote headlines championing the Turkish-Israeli alliance: "We will say 'shalom' to the Israelis on the Golan Heights," one read. I didn't know that the tide has been turning since the ruling Turkish party came into power.

According to an article by Soner Cagaptay in The Washington Post in February 2009:

"For years, Turkey has had normal relations with Israel, including strong military, tourist, and cultural and commercial ties. The Turks did not emphasize religion or ideology in their relationship with the Jewish state, so Israelis felt comfortable visiting, doing business and vacationing in Turkey. But (Turkish Prime Minister) Erdogan's recent anti-Israeli statements - he even suggested that God would punish Israel - have made normal relations a thing of the past. On Jan. 4, 200,000 Turks turned out in freezing rain in Istanbul to wish death to Israel; on Jan. 7, an Israeli girls' volleyball team was attacked by a Turkish audience chanting, "Muslim policemen, bring us the Jews, so we can slaughter them."

Anti-Semitism is not hard-wired into Turkish society - rather its seeds are being spread by the political leadership. Erdogan has pumped up such sentiments by suggesting Jewish culpability for the conflict in Gaza and alleging that Jewish-controlled media outlets were misrepresenting the facts. Moreover, on Jan. 6, while demanding remorse for Israel's Gaza operations, Erdogan said to Turkish Jews, "Did we not accept you in the Ottoman Empire?" Turkey's tiny, well-integrated Jewish community is being threatened: Jewish businesses are being boycotted, and instances of violence have been reported. These are shameful developments in a land that has provided a home for Jews since 1492, when the Ottomans opened their arms to Jewish people fleeing the Spanish Inquisition. The Ottoman sultans must be spinning in their graves."

This shift in sentiment towards Israel by a long-time ally is interesting to note. Coming back from Israel, touring the Yad Veshem, and hearing about re-emerging anti-Semitism in Europe - this latest article in Foreign Affairs is sobering. We need to pray for the hearts of the Turks and the Israelis to be re-knitted back to one another! It is sad when friends turn their backs on one another. It's also a sobering reminder to an oft-asked question - at the last, which nations will stand with Israel?

Our secret history with God

From "The Elijah Legacy", a book by David Davis. I found this passage on the secret to Elijah's "divine authority" to be something we should all chew on:

"Every person has a secret history with God. No one really knows this secret life but God and that person. I believe that Elijah had been given such divine authority because of his secret, intimate life with God. He was a man of prayer, communion and dialogue with God. Every prophet is first of all an intercessor, otherwise he or she will be a false prophet. Our public ministry will only be as powerful as our private prayer life. The divine principle and standard has always been "purity before power". Character before commission. Many are powerless because they are prayerless.

Elijah prayed "earnestly" (James 5:7). He "pressed in" with burning, zealous prayer. He would not let go until he received the answer. This was key to his divine authority and power. "We have not because we ask not," Jesus said. We are to "earnestly desire the best gifts", and to "pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy" (1 Cor 14:1). We are to be zealots in prayer. The end-time Elijah company will be zealots for the cause of Jesus - salvation, not destruction - love, not hate.

Elijah lived in "the secret place". Jesus commanded us "But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut the door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place, and your Father who sees in the secret place will reward you openly" (Matt 6:6). The authority and anointing on Elijah was being produced in the place of secret communion with his heavenly Father. It is the place of stripping and equipping, and the place of prophetic preparation.

"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty" (Psalms 91:1). You can't be in someone's shadow unless you are very close to Him. Elijah accepted the divine invitation. He went and lived at the place of separation and preparation, and the Lord was faithful to His promise. Ravens brought him two meals a day for a year. His daily bread was the Word of God, as he fed on God's faithfulness and drank from the ever-flowing stream of the river of life, the Spirit of God."

Two wonderful worship songs

We sung these two wonderful worship songs in Cornerstone today - We Bow Down (Lenny LeBlanc) and Everlasting God (Chris Tomlin). Love both of them!

We Bow Down (Lenny LeBlanc)

Princes and paupers
Sons and daughters
Kneel at the throne of grace
Losers and winners
Saints and sinners
One day will see His face

And we all bow down
Kings will surrender their crowns
And worship Jesus
For He is the love
Unfailing love
He is the love of God

Summer and winter
The mountains and rivers
Whisper our Savior's name
Awesome and holy
A friend to the lonely
Forever His love will reign

He's the light of the world
And Lord of the cross

And we all bow down
Kings will surrender their crowns
And worship Jesus
Worship Jesus
Worship Jesus
For He is love
Unfailing love
He is the Love of God



Everlasting God

Allenby: Greatness and humility

In Israel, the name of General Edmund Allenby was mentioned twice to us, as one individual who lived out his calling as a great warrior for God.

As the commander of the British forces, he liberated Jerusalem, capturing the Holy City on 9 December, 1917. Although a victorious, conquering general, and the master of cavalry warfare, Allenby and his men famously dismounted their horses and entered the city on foot through the Jaffa Gate. One version of events is that this man of God felt that if Christ Jesus his Lord entered Jerusalem on a donkey, far be it for him to do so on a horse. So he walked in on foot. This is humility worth emulating.

I like this definition by Jack Hayford on how to live out humility (esp Points 6 & 7, when we find out how great is God's special calling on each one of us):

1. Never slight anyone who cannot help you to favour someone else who can
2. Treat everyone with respect, whether you like them or not
3. Be willing to admit you need prayer
4. Try to always encourage others
5. Always forgive quickly and be hard to offend
6. Always be thankful and never really sure why God wants to use you
7. Let whatever God does for you or through you never cease to amaze you

Speaking of making a difference, the Singaporeans among us on the SOM had a warm fuzzy feeling while in Israel when we heard about the good things our fellow countrymen had done. This latest SOM school comprised about 90 of us from the nations - there were Finns, Americans, Australians, Singaporeans, New Zealanders, Canadians etc, and a couple from Ghana. And guess what? The Ghanaian couple was there on the sponsorship of an annonymous Singaporean! Whilst in Israel, we also heard from the pastor of a thriving Arab Christian congregation that a number of years ago, God called him to build a new church. The building project cost millions, and at crunch time, when he needed finances in to pay the contractors, his banker called him to say that USD 50,000 had been wired to him. And again guess what, the money had come from an annonymous Singaporean!

Wow. I was quite floored. God has blessed our little nation with prosperity for a reason, and I am soooo proud of fellow Christians in our land for blessing the nations. Go Singapore!

Prayer today: Father God, thank you that by your grace, we can be the force that changes the world. This is true wherever you have placed us - in the marketplace, in government, in the military, in education, in church, in the media, or the arts. When you enable us by your spirit to do amazing things for you, help us to be humble and never cease to marvel at what you do for us or through us. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Why Israel testifies to God's faithfulness

Many Jews today still bear the scars of the Holocaust - believing that God forsook them in those dark days. And that has been a large barrier in their coming to Yeshua, or Christ Jesus. Walking through the Yad Veshem, it is easy to see how deep the wounds are, and how much healing has to take place. But God is faithful.

My two weeks in Israel were spent with the Mt Carmel School of Ministry - a wonderful ministry by a bunch of Israeli believers (Peter Tsukahira, David Davis, etc) on what God is doing in the Holy Land. It is a vital ministry, because so few of us in the Gentile nations know the prophetic significance of what God is doing in our generation - particularly with regards to Israel.

In Ezekial 36:17-18, God prophesises that he will "disperse" and "scatter" the people of Israel throughout the lands and nations, to "judge them" for shedding blood in the land and "because they had defiled it with their idols". This was fulfilled, as we know, in the Jewish diaspora.

In verse 24, however, He promised through the prophet Ezekial that "I will take you out of the nations (plural); I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land."

The reason God said He would do this is that when the House of Israel was scattered, His holy name was profaned among the nations. But God said when He brings back His people into their land, "then the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Sovereign LORD" (Ezekial 36:23)

"Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when it shall no longer be said, 'As the LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,'but 'As the LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them.' For I will bring them back to their own land that I gave to their fathers." (Jeremiah 16:14-15)

"Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children." (Isaiah 66:8)

I didn't know how staggering these verses were until it was explained to me at the School of Ministry. Then my eyes were opened. The formation of the State of Israel (following the Holocaust) on May 14, 1948, is a fulfillment of God's promises to the Jewish people in Ezekial, Jeremiah and Isaiah. Since 1948, millions of Jews (from the former Soviet Union - the north country), Africa, Europe, the US, etc, have returned to the land in one wave after another. God is restoring the glory of His great name.

Why is this significant for us believers?

Because Israel is the great prophetic event in our day. For 2,000 years, the Jewish people have wandered from nation to nation. God says that when they had no rights, no dignity, no identity, massacred, pushed from border to border, His name was profaned.

But He never forsook them. And His gathering of His people back to the land is testament to that. He is a faithful God who keeps covenant for all generations.

Our generation is a witness to these things, and to the fulfilment of one of the most prophetic events as laid down in the Bible.

We have lived to see these things. For that alone, we are highly privileged!

Let us not doubt it. No matter know the world defames or profanes His name, our God is a faithful, covenant-keeping God.

PS. The Mount Carmel School of Ministry describes itself as "an intensive two-week training course for men and women of God who are seeking a prophetic understanding of the Scriptures and an anointing from God for end-time ministry". Having attended the SOM, I highly recommend it to those wanting to understand the sign of the times, and God's calling on your life in this time and season. For more info, click here.

Holy fear for the dark days ahead

"A country is not just what it does - it is also what it tolerates." - Kurt Tucholsky, German essayist of Jewish origin

"First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak out for me."- Ps Martin Niemdler

Just returned from the land of Israel, where I spent two awesome weeks learning about the nation of Israel, and God's faithfulness to his covenantal people.

Whilst there, one of the places I visited was the Yad Veshem, the Holocaust museum. The Yad Veshem is really a very sobering place - and documents a very dark period in humanity. During the Holocaust, a staggering 6 million Jews died. Why? For no other reason than that they were Jews - God's prooftext. God has said He will preserve a remnant of Jews for Himself, and if they are annihilated as a people, God would be proven to be a liar. This is what the Evil One wants, and this spiritual dimension is behind the 52 genocides perpetuated against the Jewish people throughout history.

But while the Jewish slaughter is staggering, equally horrific is the small number of people who stood up as the voice of conscience during the Holocaust. And all this in Christianised Europe. While the killings were going on, the Church was largely silent. By its silence, it was complicit.

In the 1938 Évian Conference convened by then US President Franklin D. Roosevelt to discuss the issue of increasing numbers of Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution, only one nation out of 32 committed to take refugees. That country: the Dominican Republic. What a sad state of affairs that the world was sympathetic, but chose to turn a blind eye. Faith without works is dead.

At the Yad Veshem, a tree is planted for every single individual who is considered the "Righteous Among the Nations" - these are non-Jews who risked their lives to save the persecuted Jews. If they just saved one Jew, they would have been honoured. How many in the entire world did so? Just a paltry 18,000 (among them, Oskar Schindler and Corrie Ten Boom).

Why so few? The reasons boil down to the following: (1) Prevailing anti-semitic feeling (2) Apathy (3) Atmosphere of fear in Nazi Europe (4) Conformism.

The Gentiles who risked their lives to save the Jews did so even though there was a very real threat they would die doing so. They risked the constant fear of betrayal from their fellowmen; in Western Europe, they would have been sent to the death camps; and in Eastern Europe, they were in danger of execution.

When I reflect upon that, I dare not say that I too would be brave. That is why as the days get darker, one of my prayers is for God to give me a holy fear of Him. Fear of God, not fear of men.

"They overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death." (Rev 12:11)

Amazing Grace - the life of William Wilberforce

I picked up a copy of the DVD "Amazing Grace" at a Gramaphone bazaar sale on Friday, and what an excellent movie it is! I am so glad I got it!

The 2006 movie is about William Wilberforce, who in his 20s, had a renewed conversion experience and came to know God. Awakened to God, he was torn between living a life as a man of God (in the Church), and staying in politics as a Parliamentarian. In politics, he would be able to champion the abolition of the slave-trade through legislation. It would be a battle that would require grand vision, moral fortitude, courage and bulldog tenacity ... In the end, Wilberforce was all of the above, and more.

This film is just soooooo inspiring, and having watched it, now ranks as one of my favourites. In one scene of the movie, Wilberforce, still unsure about his calling, is persuaded that he can be a man of God and be in the world (though not of the world). In the end, I can see how God used him greatly in politics to make the world a much better place.

God's people are called wherever they are - in church, in the marketplace, in government, in the arts, in education, in media, etc - to be the force that changes the world. Wilberforce proved just that.

Top-notch movie. Go get the DVD and watch it if you haven't!

Knowing the intimate whisper of God

Today, I attended the 1st anniversary celebration of Covenant Vision Church. What a joyous time it was! But what struck me deeply was Ps Bruce Allen's message on what God is looking for in a people/ church of the Last Days. Preaching from the life of Samuel and Leviticus, the conclusion is that, ultimately, what God wants is a people who listen and obey the voice of God.

What is God looking for in a people/ church of the Last Days?

1. A people wholly given over to Him. Hannah, when she prayed for the baby Samuel, vowed to God that if she had a son, "then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head" (1 Samuel 1:11)

2. A people who can hear His voice. If we are to usher in the Lord of Hosts, to usher in a new move of the Spirit, we must know His heartbeat.

3. A people who will respond to the voice of God in obedience. "The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground." (1 Samuel 3:19)

Ps Allen said there are 2 types of servants. The first type is a hireling - someone paid a wage for his labours, who is free to leave after his term of employment ends, who has possession of his family. Then, there is the second type of servant, a bondservant. Now, a bondservant voluntary chooses to surrender his freedom to his Master. He chooses to stay permanently with his master's household, to give up his rights to whom he will marry, and also his rights to pay. He does so out of love, and in turn, his master adopts him into his family and becomes his protector. We are all to be bondservants of the Lord.

What is interesting is that when the slave decides to be a bondservant to his master, according to Exodus 21, this is contractually sealed when the master 'bores his ear through with an awl". A gold earring is then placed in the ear of the slave.

Similarly, in Leviticus, when a person is pronounced free of leprosy, the priest ...
"shall kill the lamb of the trespass offering, and the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering and put it on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot". (Lev 14)

Sequence of santification - ear, hand, foot. As bondservants, the first thing that needs to be sanctified is our hearing (ear), followed by our service (hand), then our walk (feet). We can have hands that work and feet that walk, but if these are not guided by God and His voice, a lot of our activity could actually be pointless. They might be a striving of the flesh, or contrary to what God wants.

Jesus only did what He saw the Father do. Ultimately, everything and everything comes down to our relationship with God.

May we all press in to know the very intimate whisper of God, because only then, will our walk and service be fruitful. Amen.

The Aroma of Prayer

I never grew up thinking I would join the prayer ministry. Even today, bible studies/ teachings/ seminars are probably more popular than prayer meetings at most churches. A good friend I met for tea today said that many churches today are more focused on feeding the mind than the heart. Hmmm.

Anyway, in my 20s, when I had settled back in my homechurch after 5 years overseas, I drifted in and out of different ministries, trying to find my giftings and where God wanted me. In all, I probably tried 7-8 ministries over a number of years. Yet, none seemed to ignite true passion. None seemed to say, Yes, this is Home.

Then one day, I read Ps Jim Cymbala's "Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire". Ps Cymbala is the pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle; which is today home to the world-famous Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. His book is the story of how when he first pastored the church, it was a decrepit, motley crew of a handful of people; who were dregs of society. Even the ushers were stealing the Sunday offering. It left him at his wits' end. Then he sensed God saying that he was to make the prayer meeting more important than any other meeting in the church - even the Sunday service. That book so pierced my heart - and I saw how much sense this made - that I immediately enrolled myself in the Wesley prayer team. And when I did, that felt like Home! :) It was the best thing I did. And it has been the most exhilarating ride with God - to know that He speaks to us; He loves us; He bids us to come boldly to the throne of grace!

Last night, I re-listened to one of Ps Cymbala's sermons on Mp3 - "The Aroma of Prayer". He is still one of the best teachers on prayer, because he is a practitioner. His whole church is run on prayer. He doesn't teach from theory; he teaches from a life lived out believing wholeheartedly that prayer should be central to every church.

To listen to Ps Jim Cymbala's sermons "The Aroma of Prayer", "My House Shall be Called A House of Prayer" and "Calling On the Name of the Lord", click here.

Obedience: this, too, is love

Obedience.

Jesus said in John 14:15, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments."

Obedience is something we do if we love God.

Today, as I was reading Watchman Nee's thoughts on spiritual authority, I suddenly saw why God wants us to obey.

I saw it from another perspective.

This is what Watchman Nee writes.

When the Son left the glory, He did not intend to return on the basis of His divine attributes; on the contrary, He desired to be exalted as a man. Jesus was exalted by God after He was obedient. In like manner, God wants to affirm this principle of obedience in us now, so that we also will be worthy to be exalted in that coming Day.

I always thought God wants us to obey Him because He is God. He is the ultimate authority. He is the Law. And there is nothing wrong with that.

But today, I saw things from another perspective. I realised that God wants us to obey Him so that He may be able to exalt us.

God wants us to obey Him because He LOVES us. He LOVES us. That caused a pang in my heart. He wants us to obey Him because it is good for us.

Obedience - this is a demonstration of love. Our love for God. His love for us.

Amazed - by Lincoln Brewster

Every morning, I have a short 5-minute walk down the road from my house to the main road, where I catch the transport to work. These days, in my busyness, sometimes those 5 minutes are all the private time I get to really spend alone with God (I really should do more, I know!). Anyway, these days, as I walk down that little road, have been plugging into Lincoln Brewster's song "Amazed" on my ipod. It never ceases to make me marvel at God's love, and to praise Him. It's such a favourite song of mine! :) Here are the lyrics:

You dance over me while I am unaware
You sing all around but I never hear the sound

(chorus)
Lord I'm amazed by You
Lord I'm amazed by You
Lord I'm amazed by You
And how You love me

(verse 2)
You paint the morning sky with miracles in mind
My hope will always stand
For You hold me in Your hand

(bridge)
How deep how wide
How great is Your love for me

The God I Know (City Harvest Church)

Heard this song last week - such a beautiful worship tune - which originated from Singapore!

The Privilege of Prayer - by Adrian Rogers

Ps. Adrian Rogers from Love Worth Finding Ministries is one of my favourite preachers - and he is one of the soundest bible teachers I know. So have reproduced his message on The Privilege of Prayer below. It cuts to the heart of matters!


The Privilege of Prayer
taken from a message given by Adrian Rogers

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Philippians 4:6

Prayer is our greatest Christian privilege and our greatest Christian failure. Now there are some valid questions concerning prayer. In my study I’ve tried to think through some of these and I want to give you some brief insights.

Why should we pray when God already knows our needs?
We do not pray to impress or inform God, but to invite Him. We pray to fellowship with God, so He can develop and grow us, and because we depend on Him.

For what is it proper to pray?
There is nothing in life that is outside the reach of prayer. If it concerns you, it concerns God. We sometimes try to divide life into secular and sacred. We’ll pray about the sacred parts but handle the secular parts ourselves. Pray for everything.

Does God hear the prayers of the unsaved?
Cornelius was an unsaved man, but God was aware of his prayer as told in Acts 10. God can hear the prayer of an unsaved person, but we, who are His children, have been given so much more – His promises found in His Word.

Why should we pray in the name of Jesus?
God promises that He will give us what we ask for when we pray in the name of Jesus (John 14:13-14). When asking in Jesus’ name, first consider:
His Approval – Does Jesus approve this thing?
His Authorization – Is it something He has authorized?
His Acclaim – Is it for His glory?

Does God always give us what we ask?
No, and thank God! Sometimes we ask God for the wrong things (Numbers 11:11-15; Matthew 20:20-22). Other times our prayer perhaps is not answered because there’s sin in our lives (Isaiah 59:2; Psalm 66:18).

Does prayer change the mind of God?
No, it does not. Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance. Prayer is laying hold of God’s will. God is a changeless God (Malachi 3:6; James 1:17). But God will do things when we pray that He will not do if we don’t pray (James 4:2). Prayer effects what God does, but does not change Him.

What do we do if our prayers are not answered?
Persist – There is a time to keep praying. Daniel prayed for three solid weeks about a matter before God sent an answer (Daniel 10; Luke 18:1).
Desist - There’s a time to quit praying. Paul prayed three times for God to remove a thorn in his flesh. God did not give Paul what he asked, but God gave Paul something better than he asked (2 Corinthians 12:8-9).

Should we expect miracles when we pray?
Never get in the habit of saying what God cannot do. You will find clusters of miracles in Bible times. They gave glory to God, validated His identify, and advanced His work. But these are not normative. God is still a God of might and miracles (Jeremiah 32:17). If God has a miracle for you, He’ll give you miracle faith!

Can our prayers override the will of another person?
No, God has given man a free will (Revelation 22:17). If God were to force one person to be saved, He’d have to force all six billion people on earth. However, we can bind the powers of darkness and bring God’s influence to people in prayer. God does not force salvation, but He frees people to be saved.

Does God have favorites whose prayer He hears?
God will hear your prayer just as quickly as He hears mine, Billy Graham’s, or anybody else’s (Psalm 65:2). However, there are certain people that if I have a prayer need, I’ll go to. I know that they believe in prayer; therefore, I can ask them to pray. God has intimates, but He doesn’t have favorites.

How can I know the will of God in prayer?The prayer that gets to heaven is the prayer that starts in heaven. We just close the circuit. The will of God is what you would want if you knew everything from God’s viewpoint. The key is to abide in Christ. If you abide in Him (John 15:7), you will find that God will guide and direct your prayers, and you will be praying in the will of God.

Don’t wait until you have all of the answers before you pray. You don’t have to understand electricity to turn on the lights. “What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.”

Hearing God's voice

Last Sunday, I went for a pre-trip briefing for my upcoming visit to the Mt Carmel School of Ministry in Israel. There, I met a fellow Wesleyan for the first time, a fellow-tripper. She invited me to attend a small group session at church yesterday night, because her group would be learning to listen to God.

I started practising listening to God or Hearing God's voice as part of the Wesley Prayer Team. I love it because it makes our relationship with God come alive when we realise He loves us enough to speak to us, He wants to commune with us, He knows us. The Word of God says "My sheep know my voice" (John 10:27) - would it be that every child of God is able to appropriate this truth, to seek to know their Master's voice, and to hear from Him directly.

Anyway, so I eagerly said yes, and attended the meeting last night. And as usual, had a great time! I felt the moment I got there that it was a divine appointment - and so it was. We spent time in little groups of threes listening to God for each other.

There is always a risk in giving a specific word. If its wrong, it's major oops. But if it's right, what an encouragement it is, for both the giver and the receiver. So it was for me last night.

A young lady in our group shared that she felt God was asking her to trust Him. For what we didn't know. So we spent some time listening to God for her. And then I sensed God saying, "Tell her not to worry about where she's going to stay." Hmmm. I asked her, "Are you looking for somewhere to stay?" That's when she shared that yes, she's getting married in two months' time, and she and her husband-to-be have been fretting that they would not be able to get their flat in time because the existing tenants were still living there. WOAH!!!!! She was surprised by the specific reassuring word she received from God, and I was greatly blessed, because once again, I left last night praising God that truly He knows everything that is on our hearts and our every anxiety.

Our Abba Father knows everything about us, and He cares, and He will provide for our every need. Hallelujah!

The Secret to Winning Spiritual Wars

Read this article previously on intercessors and it struck a chord and left much to ponder on ... so am reproducing it here. It's by Rebekah Montgomery - Editor, Right to the Heart.


The Secret to Winning Spiritual Wars
Rebekah Montgomery
Editor, Right to the Heart

There was a crisis with my children and I was a long way from home.

And I had no one on hand to pray with me.

This was ironic. At the time, I was serving on the staff of an evangelical conference for over 1600 kids roughly the same age as my own children. Even so, there was only one person I felt free to ask to pray with me. She smiled compassionately and said she would pray for me. I suppose she did — I don’t really know because I didn’t hear her. But I desperately needed someone to pray for me.

Fortunately, I belong to an Internet loop of women who not only will pray for me, but also email to me their prayers on my behalf. I cherish these women and my faith is bolstered from their prayers.

Sometimes, when the pain is very deep, you need someone to do your praying for you. The Bible has a name for these people: intercessors.

Warriors in Heavenly Places

Intercessors are a rare breed of spiritual warriors who set aside their own needs on behalf of others and strap on holy armor to do battle with evil forces in the heavenlies. These people are near to the heart of God because they lay down their lives for their friends. In a way, you might call them living martyrs.

Strategic planning, talent and training are fine and good, but spiritual battles are won or lost based on intercessory prayer. Ministry advances — or retreats — based on it.

Moses learned this. As the Amelekite army was confronted, Moses stood on top of a hill overlooking the battle holding the staff of God. The Israelites gained ground when he held up the staff: they lost ground when Moses’ arms grew weary and set it down. Finally, Aaron and Hur held up Moses’ arms until the war was decisively won. (Exodus 17)

What did Moses, his fellow intercessors, and the Israelite soldiers learn from this? What should we know for our personal and ministry battles?

The army of God moves forward on its knees. Hold up the staff of God and advance. The Lord is our banner or war flag. Fight spiritual battles any other way and you will ultimately lose ground.

Here’s what you need to know to be an intercessor and to form an intercessory team around you and the ministry God has called you to:

Intercession is a sacrificial gift of self. Intercessors become spiritually one with those for which they pray, so generally speaking, if you intercede in person, women should intercede for women, etc.

True intercessors sign on for the duration of the battle. They continue to pray until the battle is finished and God — not you — is victorious.

Intercessors pray from knowledge. It is important that intercessors pray for specific needs as well as general needs.

Intercession is work. The disciples slept through their big intercessory moment in Gethsemane. You’ll be tempted by the demands of your flesh, too.

Intercessors will go through a transforming process. The Holy Spirit thoroughly cleans intercessors. After purifying, He blesses them with depths of knowledge and understanding of Him that is beyond the norm.

Ask God to lead an Aaron and Hur to you. Don’t feel you need thousands of “prayer partners.” That would be wonderful, but what you really need are a few who take intercession seriously.

As the Lord builds trust, be vulnerable and admit when you are weary and your arms need to be held up.

Intercession is a mutual spiritual responsibility. If God sends you intercessors, be prepared to hold up their arms too.

© Rebekah Montgomery 2009
For reprint requests, contact Rebekah at her website, www.RebekahMontgomery.com.
Rebekah Montgomery, author/speaker/teacher, is a gifted, dynamic communicator. She is the author of more than five books and has penned 1,100 articles. She shares tough real-life topics and biblical application in a simple easy to grasp manner. To book Rebekah for your next event visit www.rebekahmontgomery.com. Rebekah is also the editor of Right to the Heart of Women and a publisher at Jubilant Press.

Singapore's calling and destiny

At YWAM class yesterday, we had Joseph Chean come talk to us about missions. It was an inspiring class.

One thing that struck me deeply was just how God's hand had always been on Singapore. We are a tiny red dot nation, located in the backwaters of Southeast Asia. But God knew he had a destiny for our little land. And He sent missionaries from the early days to evangelise our forefathers.

So shortly after Stamford Raffles arrives to found Singapore in 1819, the first Protestant missionary sets up a local ministry here. In 1826, the Anglican church is founded in Singapore. In 1835, the Armenian church, founded by the Sarkis Brothers who built our iconic Raffles Hotel, is built. The missionaries also set up schools and hospitals - praise God for them! In 1885, Rev William F. Oldham arrives to head the work of the Methodist Church of Singapore - I grew up a product of the Methodist Church!

In the 1930s, John Sung - known as the Billy Graham of Asia - preaches in China and the overseas Chinese population in Southeast Asia. Wikipedia says by 1936, it is believed that more than 100,000 Chinese were converted through his ministry. Today, some in Singapore are second or third-generation Christians because their parents or grandparents believed in God after hearing John Sung.

In 1978, Billy Graham preached in Singapore, and people crowded into the 55,000-seat National Stadium each night to hear the message. More than 19,600 people - many of whom are leaders and pastors today - surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ. It was Billy Graham who called out Singapore's destiny - saying God wants our little nation to be the 'Antioch of Asia' ... a hub or stepping stone for the rest of the world into Asia. I think our strategic location in the middle of key trade and air routes is no coincidence!

I was almost in tears when I considered our illustrious Christian heritage. What are we after all? A citystate with no natural resources and no hinterland, and just over 4 million people. It is a miracle that we survived independence, let alone be transformed from a third-world country to a first-world nation in one generation. For that, we have to thank God and the leaders He gave us. Indeed, in Singapore, we have been blessed beyond all measure - both materially and spiritually. And now, we have this amazing calling as 'Antioch of Asia' - to send out missionaries, to bless the Asia people materially, to be a place of refreshing and refuelling for the church workers in our neighbouring lands.

As I was reminded of the torchbearers - the men and women God sent our way to point the way to Christ - I thank God for their obedience. Truly God, you have done this. May we do the same for those who do not yet know Him.

Postscript: In 2017, Lou Engle released a prophetic word over Singapore. 2018 marks the 40th year of Billy Graham's word to Singapore that we are an Antioch to Asia. 40 years is a significant timeframe in the Bible, as it denotes a generation. Would we come into fulfillment of our calling and would we care enough to contend for it, or would we be satisfied with where Singapore is now? Would we pay the price for our nation to come into its fullness of all God has for us? To read what he said, click here. 

God's assignments for us

"About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. 7I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?" "Who are you, Lord?" I asked. "I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting," he replied. 9My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me. "What shall I do, Lord?" I asked.
"Get up," the Lord said, "and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do." (Acts 22:6-10)

Jesus had assignments for Paul. Likewise, I believe God has assignments for us all. Recently at YWAM, we have been learning about calling and destiny. What is our calling? What is our destiny?

Some lessons: God is liberal with our destiny. And He has big dreams for us. He called Gideon a mighty man of valour, before Gideon ever achieved anything for God.

Was at a bookshop recently, and noticed that there are plenty of self-help books and books on self-esteem. Self-esteem and self-confidence are wonderful, I thought. Especially the right esteem about ourselves in God's eyes.

Until I read this in the notes a friend shared with us this evening, and it makes so much sense: "Self-esteem is focused on self. Christ-esteem is recognising I’m filthy, sinful and have no good apart from God – I look to Christ – Jesus alive in me. I don’t have to struggle because my self is dead. And I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

"You can be everything you want to be – that’s the world view. But what does Jesus want me to be? That's the kingdom view."

"Don’t discourage children and their big dreams, but refocus it to how they can align their dreams with God."

Prayer today: Father God, I want big dreams. But I want them to be aligned with your big dreams. My vision, no better how big, is still much smaller than yours; because you are a Big God, and you are liberal when it comes to destinies. Help me to live the fullest life that you intended me to live when you conceived me in your mind. In Jesus' name, Amen.

The heavens are telling of the glory of the Lord!

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings, and crowned him with glory and honor (Psalms 8:3-4)

Recently, I saw a Louis Giglio video on the stars that God created. Before this, I thought stars were little twinkling things in the sky (a misnomer probably caused by the nursery rhyme one learnt at kindergarten). When I realised that some of the stars in our universe are way way bigger than Earth, it took my breath away. It really caused my mind to be quite blown away. And this is just fingerwork for God!!!!

What a Great God we serve!

Christian the Lion

Saw the book on Christian the Lion at the bookshop today, and remembered what a wonderful story it is. This is a true story... and the following is an account from Wikipedia: "Christian was a lion originally purchased by Australians John Rendall and Anthony "Ace" Bourke from Harrods department store of London in 1969 and ultimately reintroduced to the wild by conservationist George Adamson. One year after George Adamson released Christian to the wild, his former owners decided to go looking for him in Africa to see whether Christian would remember them. Surprisingly, he did and with him were other lions in the pride who were also friendly."



This is so immensely touching. Impossible? On this earth, it's very likely a one in a million ... but I am looking forward to when Christ establishes His kingdom, and when even the predatory animals become peaceable :) Just like Christian the Lion.

The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them (Isaiah 11:6)

The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD. (Isaiah 65:25)

A believer's identity and destiny

"For God's gifts and his call are irrevocable." (Romans 11:29)

At YWAM's iDTS school last Saturday, we learnt about Identity and Destiny. What is our identity in Christ? What is our destiny? They teach that in YWAM because God calls us to lead purposeful lives. And God places a wonderful calling on each of our lives ... we just need to know it!

As believers, our identity is an awesome one - we are children of our Abba Father, the Great High God. That blows my mind away. Our destiny...or calling in life... is more tricky, and often, it's as we walk close to God that we know what it is.

Today, a colleague told me about a friend who was undergoing cancer. It started off as a cancer in the lung but has spread to the brain. It's a tough road but this cancer sufferer's journey is made just a little easier with the help of a caring oncologist. This oncologist is a Christian, and every morning, she would gather all her patients' files and pray over them. WOW! This really inspires me. Talk about identity and destiny. This oncologist's identity is as a child of God. Her destiny is to use her God-given skills as a doctor to treat the sick, to make them better. But what a power-packed destiny it is, because she also has access to the throne of grace of her Abba Father, who is God Almighty! May I also walk out my God-given destiny by accessing the love and power of my Abba Father, to bless those around me.

Prayer today: Father God, as your children, we are highly privileged. Help me to use my God-given skills, but more importantly my access to you, to bless those around me. Help me to always remember my identity as a child of God, and live out my full destiny. All the days of my life were written in your book before one of them came to be. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Prayer requests: Nothing is too small or too specific for God

Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. (Isaiah 59:1)

This week, God reminded me of the power of specific prayer. At the workplace, my team and I were organising a community event whereby 20 colleagues had volunteered to have their heads shaved, to raise money for a children's cancer charity organisation. The event was to take place at the cafeteria at our workplace - and it had a capacity of 200+ persons. My team and I were involved with executing the entire event - from publicising it internally, rallying for donations, and planning the logistics.

While we did everything we could to ensure flawless execution of the programme, there was one thing that was completely out of our control - the number of people who would turn up. We didn't want to be contrived about it ... and to invite only select people. We wanted all our people who would support the cause to come, and to cheer on our brave colleagues who were having their heads shaved. Yet, we knew that if people turned up in droves, we would have a crowd control problem on our hands. So we prayed a specific prayer: God, please let the RIGHT NUMBER of people come.

It's funny how I can believe that God is the maker of the universe, and doubt that He would be able to answer this prayer. So I was pretty stressed about it all. Ten minutes before the event, no one was there. But when it started, God brought in just about 200+ people - the ideal number - so much so that the atmosphere was electric! There was loads of camaraderie and cheering; but we weren't packed like sardines :)

And I'm still really inspired and awestruck by the event, and how generous everyone was! Within 3 short weeks, we've raised over SGD 100,000 for the cancer-stricken kids, and we have another week of fund-raising to go! That God brought in the right number of people sounds like a small thing. But for me, it's another example of an answer to specific prayer, and God being in control of everything and everything! This one will go into my personal chequebook of faith of just how great our God is!

Prayer today: Abba Father, thank you for making our charity event such a success. While I could plan the logistics to flawless execution, the number of attendees was completely out of my control. But it was completely in your control. I know that now. You are awesome Father, and I praise you that no prayer request is too small or too specific for you to answer! :)

Spiritual warfare and lies about God

10 "This is what Sennacherib king of Assyria says: On what are you basing your confidence, that you remain in Jerusalem under siege? 11 When Hezekiah says, 'The LORD our God will save us from the hand of the king of Assyria,' he is misleading you, to let you die of hunger and thirst... 14 Who of all the gods of these nations that my fathers destroyed has been able to save his people from me? How then can your god deliver you from my hand? 15 Now do not let Hezekiah deceive you and mislead you like this. Do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or the hand of my fathers. How much less will your god deliver you from my hand!" (2 Chr 32:10-14)

When Sennacherib king of Assyria and all his forces were laying siege on Lachish, he taunted the people of Judah and spouted lie upon lie, to make them doubt God. He told them that Hezekiah was misleading them when he said God would be able to deliver them. Sennacherib sounded real convincing, but in fact, it was he who was lying.

In the same way, Satan is the Father of lies. He lies to us to make us doubt God's goodness, His strength, His might, His ability to deliver us. I remember one year when we were engaged in spiritual warfare to push back his kingdom, he sowed this doubt in my mind, "Are you SURE your God can keep you?" When I allowed these thoughts to assault my mind, my faith began to falter ...

That's why we need to keep our armour on - especially the belt of truth and the shield of faith. In the face of insurmountable odds, am I sure my God can keep me? Yes He can. And He will. His word says so. He is a God that cannot lie.

20 King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer to heaven about this. 21 And the LORD sent an angel, who annihilated all the fighting men and the leaders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he went into the temple of his god, some of his sons cut him down with the sword.

Hallelejah. Amen.

Prayer today: O Father, forgive me when I doubt you and listen to lies. Help me discern truth from falsehood, especially falsehood about you; that I may walk secure in who you are, and whose I am. In Jesus' name, Amen.

To make our King known

Day 3 in Bangkok ... this afternoon, after verifying that the Thai cinemas screen Hollywood blockbusters in English, I decided to take a break from shopping to catch a movie. I was truly impressed by the cineplex at Siam Paragon - it is the ultimate in 'luxe' ... and has tiered pricing for different classes of theatres. I decided to watch "Terminator Salvation" at a digital theatre - with better sound and sharper images - at 170 baht (about SGD8) ... still cheaper than Singapore, and in amazingly grand surroundings.

Before the movie started, there was the usual dose of trailers and cinema adverts. But what was truly interesting was that at one point, among the trailers, there was a screenshot of the Thai king, and all the audience in the theatre stood to their feet. For a while, I continued to sit in my chair (thinking afterall that I was not a subject of this nation) ... then decided that that might be culturally disrespectful. I did a Wikipedia search on this occurrence after I got back to the hotel, and it said: "Before a film, the audience must stand for the "Royal Anthem", which is accompanied by a montage of images of King Bhumibol Adulyadej." Ahhh... so this is a regular ocurrence after all.

Anyway, during dinner, I thought of the Thais who immediately jumped to their feet upon hearing the anthem. They were spontaneous in their reverence. Moi? I was indifferent really. But then, I don't know King Bhumibol. I've read that he's respected as a benevolent monarch - but I have just a passing knowledge of him. It struck me that my lack of knowledge about him is what fuels my apathy. Similarly, how can they who've never known the King of Kings feel anything but indifference towards him? I love my King, but they who don't know about His goodness, cannot be expected to feel the same way. My cinema experience reminded me that men cannot be expected to love our King unless we make Him known.

Prayer today: Lord Jesus, you are the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords. Help me to make you known, that all men might know your goodness, your love and your greatness in all the earth. To know you is to love you. In Jesus' name, Amen.

So beautiful - by Terry MacAlmon

This is a really ministering song ... just breathtakingly beautiful...!

Spiritual warfare and the glory of God

Still on spiritual warfare...and interceding for cities. We landed in Bangkok yesterday (am here for a 4-day break) - and on the way from the airport to the city, I was struck by how lining both sides of the expressway were small figurines/statues of gods...presumably gods of protection? This lovely nation with incredibly wonderful people are so steeped in their belief of Buddha...this stems from deep-seated beliefs that go centuries back, and which are tightly woven into the very fabric of society. How do we even break through ... I thought.

Anyway, on the plane-ride here, I continued to read John Dawson's book "Taking our cities for God", in between catching Liam Neeson in the movie "Taken" (a pretty good show!). One thing which John wrote about pertaining to spiritual warfare and territorial spirits struck me. Sounding a warning to what intercessors can be prone to do - which is try and delve too much into what territorial spirits are holding a city captive - he says: "God will reveal what we need to know when we need to know it."

"There has always been a danger of either denial of satanic activity altogether or focusing on it too much. If we gain knowledge of the name and nature of an evil spirit and publish it broadly, the enemy will only attempt to glorify himself openly or instill fear among the immature. Joshua warned the Israelites about this temptation. 'You shall not make mention of the name of their gods'. (Joshua 23:7)'

I liked what he continued to say. "After all, the problem is not the presence of the enemy, but the absence of glory. When our sin causes God's revealed presence to depart, the demonic swarm fills the vacuum. Therefore, our focus should be on repentance and priestly meditation rather than on becoming expert on the satanic hierarchy. Morbid fascination is a carnal appetite that can drive us to search out the hidden knowledge of the evil realm... However, the privilege of knowing God Himself should be the centre of our desire."

Prayer today: Father God, when you call us to push back the boundaries of darkness as intercessors, help us focus on the right things ... on repentance, and priestly meditation, and you. After all, even in the darkest places, the problem is not the presence of the enemy, but the absence of glory. May we be the vessels that bring light to darkness, and to show the lost your glory. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Treasure in all earthen vessels

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Eph 6:12)

Recently, God has been putting on my heart the idea of prayer evangelism. So I've been starting to look at my neighbourhood slightly differently these days. I usually walk down one street from my house to the main road, and the other day, as I did so, I began to notice one neighbour here burning paper money; another worshipping with joss sticks, and wondering... Perhaps its something God is birthing in my heart; I'm still waiting on Him to see where it's all leading ... but in the meantime, am studying more on the subject. Along with it, I picked up a copy of John Dawson's book "Taking Cities For God" at the YWAM talk on Saturday.

YWAM's Dean Sherman reminded us in his spiritual warfare class of Eph 6:12 - that our struggle is not against flesh and blood. People are not the problem. I've heard that teaching before. But while reading John Dawson's book, I learnt another nugget of truth: that not only are people not the problem, God has placed in each one of us a piece of Himself. Everyone, even unbelievers, has the potential to be used greatly for the kingdom, if only they might be saved.

Writes John Dawson: "It is easy to to identify the motivational gift of unsaved individuals and to see what their ministry would be if they were saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. For example, John Lennon would have been a minstrel-prophet like King David, and rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix could have been an excellent worship leader."

"I once set out to convert the manager of a local pornography store. We had breakfast together on Wednesday mornings for several weeks. He believed everything I had to say about Jesus, but he would not take the final step of committing himself to follow the Lord. One morning, I said "Ron, you're a tough guy on the outside, but inside, you're soft. You have what the Bible calls a gift of mercy. If you would allow Jesus to take over, you would become the kind of person to whom others would come for healing and comfort." For the first time he looked at me with real hope in his eyes, and that was the day he made Jesus his Lord.

I can identify with that. Someone I know was the most fervent idol worshipper for years. When she was saved, she became one of the most fervent lovers of God I know. I believe firmly with all my heart, when fervent idol-worshippers come to know Christ, they are super-potent instruments in the hand of God, because they KNOW how to worship. They just changed their allegiance.

What this has taught me is that we really need to recognise that God sees beyond the flaws, weaknesses, and depravity of people. Instead, he takes note of their potential and destiny in Christ Jesus. The lesson I need to learn is to see people the same way God sees them. To recognise that even when they are difficult, God loves them and so should we. Because our war is not against flesh and blood.

And there is treasure in all earthen vessels.

Prayer today: Father God, teach me not to be quick to judge others who are flawed, or difficult, or adversarial. Help me to love them, and not to be provoked by them. Help me to see them as you see them. For our war is not against flesh and blood. And there is treasure in all earthen vessels. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Winning against impossible odds

Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. (Eph 6:10)

I attended a YWAM talk by Dean Sherman on spiritual warfare yesterday, and learnt so much. I will probably be blogging more on the subject in the coming days. One thing Dean shared was that the spirit of intimidation or fear is from Satan. God gives us a spirit of love and power, and of a sound mind. Why should we not fear taking on enemies greater than ourselves? Because in any warfare, he said, we are going not in our own strength, but in the strength of His might (Eph 6:10). I was thinking of this and it struck me that one manifestation of this is how when God is with His people, He always gives them victory, even when they are overwhelmingly outnumbered.

Here are some examples:

1. Battle between Israel (Jeroboam) and Judah (Abijah) 2 Ch 13:13-15
"Now Jeroboam had sent troops around to the rear, so that while he was in front of Judah the ambush was behind them. 14 Judah turned and saw that they were being attacked at both front and rear. Then they cried out to the LORD. The priests blew their trumpets 15 and the men of Judah raised the battle cry. At the sound of their battle cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah." Judah was attacked at both front and rear, and it seemed disastrous! But they cried out to the Lord and it was God who routed the enemy.

2. Battle between Assyria (Sennacharib) and Judah (Hezekiah) 2 Kings 19:35
"And that night, the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies." Amazing! God's people did not even have to lift a finger in this battle, God himself smote the enemy.

3. Battle between Israel (Gideon) and the Midianites, Judges 7
"That same night the LORD said to him, "Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hand." With 300 Israelites versus 135,000 Midianites (Israel outnumbered 450:1), Israel won the victory, because God was on its side!

4. Battle between Israel (Elisha) and the Syrians, 2 Kings 6
"When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?" He said, "Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." Then Elisha prayed and said, "O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see." So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha."

5. Battle between Israel (Joshua) and the Amorites, Joshua 10
"The LORD threw down large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword. At that time Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel,

"Sun, stand still at Gibeon,
and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon."
And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,
until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.

I love this! God killed the Amorites with hailstones, and caused the sun to stand still, until victory was complete!!! Woohooo!!!

In every situation, victory was won because God was on the side of His people. It didn't matter how weak Israel/ Judah was, or how outnumbered they were. In the natural, it was unthinkable how they would win. But they won because they warred in the strength of his might.

Prayer today: Father God, when I am plagued with doubt over whether I can take on the enemy, help me remember that on my own strength, I cannot. But you are strong, and mighty, and when you are with me, surely nothing is impossible. Your word is replete with examples of how when we are weak, then we are strong! Hallelujah, Amen.

The right view of success

Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. (1 Chr 28:10)

I was reading this morning the account by David of his plans to build the temple. It struck me in the short passage how utterly God is the architect of our success...how utterly dependent we are on Him...and how utterly foolish we are when we are prideful, when we think our success comes from our own hands.

Here it is. In the building of the temple, a glorious structure, all the plans did not originate in the mind of David because of his intellect, but came from the Spirit (1 Chr 28:12) The courage and strength to carry out the work came from God (1Chr 28:20) The wealth and honor bestowed to David and Solomon came from God (1 Chr 29:12) The ability to stay faithful till the end, any wholehearted devotion to keep God's commands and requirements and decrees, are by the grace of God (1 Chr 29:19)

Our inspired thoughts come from God. Our desire to obey comes by His enablement. Our wealth and honour is from Him. Our ability to love Him and persist in His ways are by His grace. Everything, and everything, that I do that is good is because of Him.

So when reading the passage, the only right response to all of the above is the one given by the people of Judah:

Then David said to the whole assembly, "Praise the LORD your God." So they all praised the LORD, the God of their fathers; they bowed low and fell prostrate before the LORD and the king. (1 Chr 29:20)

Prayer today: Father God, forgive me when I foolishly think my hands have earned me success. Everything, and I mean everything, that I do that is good is because of you. You are the author and finisher of my faith. Help me not to forget that, and so, to do justly, love mercy and walk humbly before my God. In Jesus' name, Amen.

The Class the Stars Fell On

I've been thinking and writing on the role of our generation, and what God purposed for us to do, in this time and season ... so these thoughts by Pastor Yang Tuck Yoong, published this Sunday on the Cornerstone Community Church bulletin, really resonated with me. His words in the article "The Class The Stars Fell On" struck a chord deep in my spirit. I think it's worth a read, and hence, am reproducing it below in full.

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I was recently reading an article that Lance Wallnau wrote entitled, “The Class the Stars Fell On” and it impacted me greatly. Here’s a little excerpt which I believe will bless you.

“The West Point Corp of cadets, class of 1915, was no different from any other cohort until the nation entered into its hour of crisis. Suddenly, a class of ordinary students, captured in a crucible of history, was transformed into company of statesmen and warriors, set apart by God to save their nation and the rest of the world from the tyranny of ruthless dictators. This particular West Point class of 1915 is famously called: ‘The Class the Stars Fell On’. The demands placed upon this class for leadership was without precedent. After graduating, the class of 164 cadets saw more that a third of the class promoted to the rank of General. Actually, 59 in all – 24 Brigadier Generals, 24 Major Generals, seven Lt Generals, two Generals with 4-star, and two Generals with 5 stars.”

But what brought out the best in these men? It was adversity. The world had just been plunged into a world war and those were desperate times. But it’s those times of adversity that I believe we’re going to see a generation rise in the crucible of fire to be the greatest generation ever. We’re now at the brink of adversity like we’ve never seen before. The Lord calls the last period of history when history itself goes wrong the ‘Great Tribulation’. The word ‘tribulation’ comes from the word ‘Tribulem’ which actually describes a process where the wheat is crushed by a huge stone with spike on it to separate the husk for the grain. It’ll be a time of intense agony and we’re about to enter such a season. But right now, a generation is being prepared and tested to see if they qualify for promotions, new assignments, spiritual deployment and strategic appointments. These promotions are necessary for the advancement of the kingdom as nations align themselves, for or against God’s end-time plans and purposes. This is the hour that the Church must arise.

Serving God in our generation

For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me. (John 5:36)

God gave Jesus work on earth to finish. Likewise, I believe He creates us all for a purpose and a reason. The Bible says of David, "For David...served the purpose of God in his own generation" (Acts 13:36) It is my desire that God would say that of me too at the end of my life's journey.

Was reading an Os Hillman devotional last week and it said, "Success is fulfilling the complete purpose for which God made you. It has nothing to do with wealth, accomplishments, stature in life, or standard of living. It has to do with living a life of obedience to the Father. And when we live a life of obedience to the Father, we will fulfill the purposes that God had in mind when he made you and me."

I also particularly like the prayer Os says he prays for others frequently, which is: "Lord, may you fulfill every purpose for which you made them. May there be no inheritance left on the table that he/she is entitled to."

Prayer today: Lord Jesus, help me fulfill every purpose for which you made me. At my life's end, may there be no inheritance left on the table that I am entitled to. In Jesus' name, Amen.

A prayer by Andrew Murray

Just read this prayer by Andrew Murray - I particularly like the ending lines!

Let me have perfect quietness of heart. Let me never be worried, irritated, angry, or disappointed. I pray I will expect nothing and wonder at nothing that is done to me. I pray that I will feel no resentment at anything done against me, feel at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised. I ask to have a blessed home in the Lord where I can go, shut the door, and talk to my Father in secret. I ask for a place where I can be at peace as in a deep sea of calmness when all around me is trouble.

The privilege of the intercessor

One day when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down there. 12 He said to his servant Gehazi, "Call the Shunammite." So he called her, and she stood before him. 13 Elisha said to him, "Tell her, 'You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?' (2 Kings 4:11-13)

The account of Elisha and the Shunammite woman reminds me of the privilege of intercession. The lady blesses Elisha by setting aside a room in her house so he can stay there every time he visits her town. One day, Elisha calls his servant Gehazi, to her ask how they can repay her goodness. He doesn't give her a physical gift in repayment. He says, "Now, what can be done for you? Can we speak on behalf to the king or the commander of the army?"

Intercessors do that. They speak to the King and the Commander of the Army (The Lord of Hosts) on behalf of others. I find that a great privilege. When we were in Kwang Lim, there were some days when I would fast lunch. But there was one day when I felt God wasn't calling me to do that, and I joined our team for a truly satisfying meal of Kimchi, squid, veg and soup. That day was special because there were some Korea missionaries sitting at the next table, who were back for a retreat, and they shared their fried chicken with us. Like good Asians, we shared (Serena's) little anchovies with them. And we even got the convenience store to open up, so we could buy ice-cream for dessert - it was the best meal we had while up on the mountains!

Call it a divine appointment. After lunch, a Korean missionary and his wife asked if we could pray for them. Their ministry is in Argentina. His wife's mother was due to go for a simple surgery for appendicitis in October, but the doctors wrongly injected her with antibiotics and she was now in a coma. There and there, in the dining hall, a group of us from Singapore gathered in a circle and called out to our God Most High to heal the elderly lady and bring her out of the coma. The Holy Spirit's presence was so strong among us. It was electric! It was the body of Christ coming together. And we had the peace in our hearts after that, she was healed. Amen!

Even now, all I can think of is what a great privilege it was to intercede to the Great King on behalf of the missionary. These are people who have given their lives to God; who no doubt walk closer to Him than us, yet, they were willing to share their struggle with us and ask us to pray for them...

I pulled this out from the RCCM website:

Nine Attributes of an Intercessor…

1. Abandonment – Willing to abandon all self-interest about what is being prayed;

2. Acceptance – Willing to accept the assignment to pray for someone that you do not even like;

3. Accountability – Faithful to the call and life of prayer. Willing to loan God your vocal cords;

4. Advocate – Willing to go in another person’s place and plead their case before God, acting like Jesus;

5. Agonising – Willing to bear the hurts of others and feel what they feel. Jesus was touched by our infirmities;

6. Armour – Willing to be a soldier who never retreats; who faces the devil in the Name of Jesus under the authority of the His Blood, knowing that the armor is your spiritual protection for your front parts. God protects your back parts. He is your rear guard. The Blood of Jesus and the Word of God are the whole armor of God;

7. Availability – Willing to always be available for God; holy, submissive, yielded, and humble. The world looks for ability. God only needs availability He can enjoinder and equip;

8. Awareness – Willing to be sensitive, and look beyond the person to make it happen for someone else;

9. Authority – Willing to go boldly before the Throne of God without begging, understanding the authority that belongs to the born-again believer.

Prayer today: Father God, what a privilege to be used as an intercessor in your Kingdom. I pray for your grace, O God, that you may grant me these qualities and help me grow in the calling you've placed on my life. In Jesus' name, Amen.

You are God, there is no other

In Korea, in my first full day in Osanri, God impressed upon me that I was not to bring my petitions to Him yet. No, the first day was to be spent meditating on His Majesty. It was to be spent giving Him praise. So I spent the day reading all 66 books of Isaiah, after which He said to me, turn the verses I had jotted down into a personal prayer (It's largely from Isaiah, but I've also added in a verse here and there from the book of Daniel, and the Psalms). Here it is - Praise the Lord!

You are God, there is no other

O God, you are the eternal King
There is no other
You rule and reign in majesty
Awesome in power, mighty in deed
You make heaven your throne
And the earth your footstool
You dwell in the high and holy place.
You are high and lifted up.
Yet, you are a God who is near and not afar off,
You are with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit
Hallelujah! Praise you O King!

You are Creator God
Before the world existed, you were
You stretched out the heavens like a tent to dwell in
And laid the foundations of the earth
You brought out the starry host by number
And called them each by name
You measured the waters of the sea in the hollow of your hand
Enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure
Weighed the mountains in scales
And the hills in a balance
Hallelujah, Praise you O King!

You are the Sovereign God
And have complete rule over all the affairs of Man
You change times and seasons
Remove kings and set up kings
You call a bird of prey from the East
And a man of your counsel from a far country
All the nations are as nothing before you
They are accounted by you as nothing and emptiness
What you have spoken, you bring to pass
What you purpose, you will do
Hallelujah, Praise you O King!

You are Lord of Hosts
God over all nature, heavenly and angelic hosts
You form light and create darkness
Make well-being and create calamity
By your rebuke you dry up the seas
And make the rivers a desert
By your word, you make a way in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert
You make your messengers winds,
Your ministers a flaming fire
Hallelujah, Praise you O King!

You are Kings of Kings, Lord of Lords
A loving God, and a fearsome Judge
When you want to exact vengeance and judgement
You muster a host for battle
They come from a distant land
From the ends of the heavens
They shall come in fire
And in chariots that are like the whirlwind
You go out like a mighty man
And show yourself mighty against your foes
Hallelujah, Praise you O King!

You are God, there is no other.

Wisdom and counsel

The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. (1 Kings 10:24)

I've been spending some time listening to Don Anderson's sermon messages on the book of Daniel, and today's lesson had amazing lessons for me on how we should act as Christians even in a crisis. King Nebuchadnezzar had ordered all the wise men in his palace to be executed because no one could interpret his dream. And Daniel was to be rounded up and killed too.

"And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain. Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon". (Daniel 2:13-14)

In a time of crisis, Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to the very captain of the guard who had come to slay him. Wisdom and counsel. That is what Christians (and dare I say, the new guard) need in this Aware saga. Jesus tells us to be 'as shrewd as serpents, as gentle as doves'. We are to 'let our speech be always in grace, seasoned with salt' (Col 4:6). The way Jesus won the kingdom was through the way of love, sacrifice and death, not revolution.

So this quote by Max Lucado spoke much to me:

Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle.
If I raise my voice, may it be only in praise.
If I clench my fist, may it only be in prayer.
If I make a demand, may it only be of myself.

I believe this is God's way.

Prayer today: Lord Jesus, I pray that you will grant us wisdom and counsel, that we may always rightly represent you and your ways. Grant that we may be as shrewd as serpents, as gentle as doves. Grant that if we raise our voice, it is only in praise. If we clench our fist, it is only in prayer. If we make a demand, it is only of ourselves. For this is your way. May your purposes shine through us. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Back from the prayer mountains

45Then he entered the temple area and began driving out those who were selling. 46"It is written," he said to them, " 'My house will be a house of prayer'[b]; but you have made it 'a den of robbers.'[c]" (Luke 19:45)

Last night, I returned from a trip to the Osanri and Kwang Lim prayer mountains. It was an awesome, awesome experience!! I went to declutter my mind - to slow down, to seek God. But God's nearness in the quietness and beauty of nature just blew my mind. God esteems prayer because it honours Him. He esteems it because it glorifies Him when He answers our petitions.

One lady in our team - a 65-year-old woman - taught us something profoundly touching through her testimonies. She prays about the smallest things. She is a housewife and cooks for her Peranakan family. She prays for God to help her cook a good meal for her family. She prays that He will strengthen her knees so she can go up and down the mountain. She prays. She had been an idol-worshipper for all her life, but her daughter prayed for more than 30 years that she should come to know the one true God. Because of that faithful prayer, God appeared to the elderly lady in dreams - until she could no longer deny his Lordship. I had never heard God save a person in Singapore through dreams before (I thought God only moved through dreams to reach out to people who live in lands where the gospel is closed). That night, my eyes were opened to a new truth.

I learnt that wars are won and fought on prayer. Because when we pray, we plug into God, the greatest power there is. And He moves on our behalf. When we pray, He does more than we can do to take lands, transform lives and do the impossible. No wonder Jesus wants the church to be, above all, 'a house of prayer'.

Prayer today: Father God, may I be, above all, a person of prayer. And help me hear you clearly when I do, so we can dialogue each day as daughter to Abba Father, servant to King, friend to friend. In Jesus' name, Amen.