Prayer that moves mountains

It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.

Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.
The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. "Quick, get up!" he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists.

Then the angel said to him, "Put on your clothes and sandals." And Peter did so. "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me," the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. (Acts 12)

A few years ago, as I was studying the book of Acts in a bible study class, our teacher told us about Brother Yun - the Heavenly Man. He told us the book of the same name was Acts for the modern day.

In Brother Yun's autobiography, he recounts the persecutions he went through preaching the gospel in China. During his third imprisonment, he endured many beatings and scourgings. One day in May 1997, he heard the voice of the Holy Spirit, telling him to simply walk out the heavily guarded prison gate. Risking being shot to death on the spot, he obeyed the voice, and walked straight through several prison doors that were somehow left open in front of many prison guards, across the prison yard and finally out of the main gate. Brother Yun stated that it was as if he had become invisible to the guards who stared straight through him.

A little known fact is that Brother Yun's escape tallies completely time-wise with an intercessory meeting taking place miles away in far-flung Sweden. In a church in Sweden, a group of 30 were in a small room interceding for Brother Yun and other Chinese people who had been imprisoned for Christ. During a meeting, a Swedish lady, who usually prayed silently to herself, suddenly exclaimed aloud that she had seen a vision of a man walking out of prison to freedom. The group praised the Lord! This was recorded in the annals of the church... many years later, the lady's vision was verified by Brother Yun as having taken place at the very hour he was freed.

I was so inspired when I heard this. Yes, Brother Yun is a giant of a man. But the Holy Spirit intervened in a supernatural way in his life, as He did in the life of Peter, in response to the prayer of the saints.

It was so during the time of the Apostles. It is so today.

Prayer moves the hand of God, to free those in physical and spiritual bondage. Prayer is a powerful force on earth because it is plugged into the Most High God!

God's gifts to Singapore

While in Israel last year, we were reminded of how blessed Singapore is ...

Though a little red dot nation, with no natural resources and hinterland, we were punching above our weight politically and economically.

In our group of 70 at the Mt Carmel School of Ministry was an African couple (a pastor and his wife). They were in Israel on the sponsorship of a Singaporean.

Then, we visited an Arab Christian church, and the pastor shared that when God called him to build a bigger church, some of the funds he needed came in by divine providence - on the generosity of an annonymous Singaporean.

Those of us Singaporeans in the school realised then at that time what impact our little nation was making ... many many miles away in Israel (And possibly around the globe). We realised just how blessed we are ... that we have materially more than we need, such that we can give unto others ... That God prospered us not so we could spend lavishly on ourselves, but so we could partner with Him in Kingdom work.

Yesterday, one of Singapore's founding fathers Dr Goh Keng Swee passed away. He was 91. Watching a documentary which paid tribute to him, I realised we are blessed because God gave us incredible leaders and politicians. Men like Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Keng Swee - who had great vision, top-rate minds, incredible executional ability, and who put country before self. The policies they implemented set us on a course of development that transformed our land into a first-world country in one generation.

"The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases." (Proverbs 21:1)

So we are blessed because of the leaders we have. We are blessed because the people God set in authority above us were men (and women) who governed and governed well. While we mourn today the passing of Dr Goh, I can only think how thankful we should be that God gave him to us when our little nation was being built. We owe the high quality of life, and our material wealth and creature comforts, to him. For which I am very grateful to God indeed!

Sanctuary (City Harvest Church)

Another fabulous song from City Harvest Church!

Called to be watchmen

All of us are called to be watchmen.

When I was in Korea last year, I met a lady whom everyone recognised as an intercessor. And I had the privilege of being ministered to by her ... she heard from God and she released words to me that pierced the heart. She is an ordinary person; she doesn't hold an office in the church nor is she theologically-trained. I pondered why God used her so mightily, and came to this conclusion: She is sensitive to His Spirit through a close walk with Him. But she also loves Him so much that she obeys Him instantly and unconditionally. Obedience for her supersedes her own personal reputation. I think that is why God uses her so mightily.

Tom Hess, in his book "The Watchman" also captures the qualities of the watchman. He writes:

The true watchman is someone who watches God, the Chief Watchman - beholding Him in His awesome, majestic glory, and what He is doing. The watchman is attentive to God with all his faculties and consequently sees things more clearly through God's eyes and His word, the Watchman clearly hears and obeys God's voice and is faithful in practicing all the aspects of watching as led by the Holy Spirit. He will be prepared to prepare the way for Messiah.

I find this short paragraph so densely packed with truth. It puts Jesus at the centre of everything we watch. It makes Him the centre of our gaze. It provides the key to clarity of hearing of seeing (the revelatory gifts). It makes clear that God gives us relevation for us to obey. It makes known why we watch and pray ... ultimately, to prepare the way for the Messiah.

Martina McBride - God's Will

One of the most wonderful songs about God's grace towards us ... and how this often comes to us in dear lil' children. This song moves me to tears. The lyrics are just lovely.


Martina McBride - God's Will (Official Music Video) - Watch a funny movie here

Israel's increasing isolation and our response

Yesterday, I attended a prayer meeting for Israel. The host of the meeting summarised very well latest developments in Israel, and the snub Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received from Obama during recent meetings in the White House. Relations between both nations are at their worst in 35 years (according to some high-level aides).

The diplomatic row centres on the Israeli government's insistence on building 1,600 homes in East Jerusalem. Israel believes it has the right to build on this land, which it possessed following a victorious 1967 war. The peace roadmap that the US seeks to broker with the Palestinians sees East Jerusalem as occupied territory, to be returned.

God's word is pretty clear on this ... we are not to divide up Jerusalem ... which God restored to His people in 1967, though they were not the aggressors. To the nations that divide up the land, God says in Joel 3:1-2, that He will "enter into judgement against them".

"In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem,
I will gather all nations, and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, for they scattered my people among the nations, and divided up my land." (Joel 3:1-2)

Says Joel Rosenberg of the latest diplomatic spat between Israel and the US:

The central problem is the White House and State Department are trying to force Israel to divide Jerusalem and divide Judea & Samaria, commonly known as the West Bank.

"Prophetically, I believe Israel will eventually be isolated from all countries in the world, especially as we approach the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38 & 39. Eventually, the Lord will wean Israel off of every nation – including the U.S. – so that the Jewish people only have Him to turn to and depend upon. That said, however, the Scriptures are clear in Genesis 12:1-3 and elsewhere that those who bless Israel, He will bless, and those who curse Israel, He will curse.

We want our countries to be blessed by God, to experience repentance and revival and to be blessings to the rest of the world. Now, therefore, is the most critical time for true followers of Jesus Christ to show unconditional love and unwavering support to Israelis and to their Palestinian neighbors. We need to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We need to show the love of Jesus to every Jew and Gentile in the Holy Land. And we need to strengthen the Church in the epicenter, encourage pastors and ministry leaders, and help them fulfill Isaiah 60."

My heartfelt prayer yesterday was for Singapore - that we would continue to bless Israel, even if it suffers continuing isolation from the nations of the world in the days ahead. Because the Scriptures are clear that those who bless Israel, He will bless, and those who curse Israel, He will curse. When it is time for us to vote, which way will we cast our vote? Will we fear man, or fear God?

All the Way My Saviour Leads Me (Chris Tomlin)

Late last year, when I sought God about what He wanted from me in 2010, I sensed Him saying it was to be a year of extravagant worship. While worship is not all about music (it probably is least about that, then faithful obedience), nevertheless, I signed up for keyboard class at Believer Music School (now at Novena Square). Five weeks into class, I am so glad I signed up! Since it's the Beginner class, we are simply learning how to play simple chords, without much embellishment. And yet wow! I can always feel such a wonderful presence of the Lord in that small room, with five of us ... and our teacher, as we play the keyboards and sing. Next week, we learn how to play Chris Tomlin's "All the Way My Saviour Leads Me". I never heard this version of this old hymn until it was introduced to us. I LOVE IT! Great rendition of an old classic!!!



All the way my Savior leads me
Who have I to ask beside
How could I doubt His tender mercy
Who through life has been my guide

All the way my Savior leads me
Cheers each winding path I tread
Gives me grace for every trial
Feeds me with the living Bread

You lead me and keep me from falling
You carry me close to Your heart
And surely Your goodness and mercy will follow me

All the way my Savior leads me
O, the fullness of His love
O, the sureness of His promise
In the triumph of His blood
And when my spirit clothed immortal
Wings its flight to realms of day
This my song through endless ages
Jesus led me all the way
Jesus led me all the way

All the way my Savior leads me
All the way my Savior leads me