Beautiful song from the story of the prodigal son in the Bible (Luke 15:11-32). The profligate son asks his Father for his inheritance, squanders it in wild living, hits rock bottom, then comes to his senses and decides to go home and be a servant in his Father's house. But the Bible says, while was a long way off, the Father (who all this time was longingly waiting for the son to return), ran to him, embraced him, and restored him back as a son in the family. Jesus told this parable, and he of all people, would know the characteristic of his Father. This is the only place in the Bible where God the Father is characterised as running - in every other account, He is seated on the throne, high and lifted up. But for the lost son who returns home, the Father runs towards Him in his great love. There is no one who is too deep in sin, too beyond redemption, that the Father does not take back into his arms. "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are!" (1 John 3:1)
Almighty God
The great I Am
Immovable Rock
Omnipotent
Powerful
Awesome Lord
Victorious warrior
Commanding King of Kings
Mighty conqueror, and the only time
The only time I ever saw Him run
Was when He ran to me
He took me in His arms
Held my head to His chest
Said, "My son's come home again",
Lifted my face, wiped the tears from my eyes,
With forgiveness in His voice He said,
"Son, do you know I still love you?"
He caught me by surprise when God ran
The day I left home I knew I'd broken His heart
And wondered then if things could ever be the same
Then one night I remembered His love for me
And down that dusty road ahead I could see
It was the only time
It was the only time I ever saw Him run
Was when He ran to me,
He took me in His arms
Held my head to His chest
Said, "My son's come home again",
Lifted my face, wiped the tears from my eyes,
With forgiveness in His voice He said,
"Son, do you know I still love you?"
He caught me by surprise,
And He brought me to my knees,
When God ran, I saw Him run to me
I was so ashamed, all alone and so far away
But now I know He's been waiting for this day
I saw Him run to me
He took me in His arms
Held my head to His chest
Said, "My son's come home again",
Lifted my face, wiped the tears from my eyes
With forgiveness in His voice He said,
I felt His love for me again
He ran to me
I saw Him run to me
And then I ran to Him
When God ran
You are deserving
Of all the praises Lord
My heart is yearning
To be in your presence once more
Deep inside my heart is burning
I want to give you more
You are the only one that I adore
How great You are
How great You are
You are the Mighty King
And You've come to reign in me
How great You are
How great You are
I give you all the praises of my heart.
A very sobering sermon on The Parable of the 10 virgins. RT's interpretation of the parable is that the 5 foolish virgins are those who will miss out on partnering God in the Greatest Revival that is coming. It could be any of us, believer. He says when the midnight cry - the cry that wakes up the whole church - happens, those who have insufficient oil will not be able to change their position. They won't be able to go into the banquet.
Have listened to it a few times, and keep being convicted by it. "Oh Lord, do not pass me by."
The movie Dunkirk is being played in cinemas the world over now. Saw the trailer earlier, but must admit that I wasn't entirely stirred to catch it, in part because I was afraid of the gore of what is a war movie. Also, this sliver of history is admittedly foreign to this Asian.
But today, I felt the Lord stir my heart to look into Dunkirk - not the movie, but what it was all about, and his intervention in the situation. That was how I stumbled upon this article "The Miracle of Dunkirk: 70 years on" by the Rev David Gartner. Reading it brought tears to my eyes.
It was May 1940. Thousands of British troops were about to be entrapped by German forces, and the only way to escape certain death was an evacuation via the port of Dunkirk in France. But the possibilities that such a rescue effort would be successful were slim.
What transpired next was unexpected: the miraculous happened, primarily relating to the weather, so that the German air force was grounded and could not attack. At the same time, there was an unnatural calm about the English channel, such that not only large British sea vessels but small ones could sail across and back to bring the boys home.
Even though some squadrons did get through, there seemed to be some kind of "strange immunity" for the British soldiers.
According to the article: "When about 400 men were being machine-gunned and bombed, systematically, by about sixty enemy aircraft, one man who flung himself down with the rest reported that, after the strafing was over, he was amazed to find that there was not a single casualty. Another man, a chaplain, was likewise machine-gunned and bombed as he lay on the beach. After what seemed an eternity, he realised he had not been hit, and rose to his feet to find that the sand all around where he had been lying was pitted with bullet holes, and that his figure was outlined on the ground."
Why did God intervene to save these people?
This is the part that brought tears to my eyes.
"Britain had a godly Sovereign…His Majesty King George VI requested that Sunday, 26 May should be observed as a National Day of Prayer. In a stirring broadcast, he called the people of Britain and of the Empire to commit their cause to God."
King George VI had said, over national radio: 'In this fateful hour, we turn, as our fathers before us have turned, in all times of trial, to God Most High. Here in the old country, I have asked that Sunday be observed as a day of national prayer…Let us with one heart and soul, humbly but confidently commit our cause to God, and ask his aid…"
Together with members of the Cabinet, the King attended Westminster Abbey, whilst millions of his subjects in all parts of the Commonwealth and Empire flocked to the churches to join in prayer. Britain was given inspiring leadership in those days, and her people responded immediately when this kind of initiative was taken. The whole nation was at prayer on that Sunday.
The scene outside Westminster Abbey was remarkable -- photographs show long queues of people who could not even get in, and Abbey was so crowded! So much so, that the following morning the Daily Sketch exclaimed, "Nothing like it has ever happened before.'
In its hour of deep distress, a heart-cry from both monarch and people alike was going up to God in prayer. And that cry did not go unanswered."
Reading all this, I was reminded by what the prophet Joel said to do in the hour of crisis.
Consecrate a fast;
Call a solemn assembly.
Gather the elders
And all the inhabitants of the land
To the house of the Lord your God
And cry out to the Lord. (Joel 1:14)
The Lord is the same today as he was in Britain's hour of need in 1940. In the hour of crisis, he will hear our cry if we will call out to him. Only let us pray that our leaders, too, will turn their faces to the Lord in that hour, that the people of the land will be galvanised to seek the Lord as one. Then we will see him act on our behalf, and it will be a day of salvation.
An excellent sermon from Ps Nicky Raiborde at Cornerstone Community Church recently on Zechariah 10:1 "Ask the Lord for rain in the time of the latter rain." Feel that it is such a powerful prophetic word for the time we are living in right now.
This article from desiringgod.com gripped my heart. It is by Greg Morse. As someone who feels to pray, I sometimes shy away from the very thing I know God has laid upon my heart, because I lack words. And the great conviction of my heart of late is that this is why intercessors need to be steeped in the word of God: it gives us understanding into the heart of God; it reminds us of His promises to pray back to Him, it gives us language that is of God Himself. This is why I'm also a big believer of scripture memorization; but so far, have used the app ScriptureTyper primarily for memorizing verses. Greg likens this to having a dagger, a word that is useful for hand-to-hand combat when the situation arises. But for battles, swords are needed; and these are whole chapters of the Bible. Spears are whole books of the Bible.
He writes:
"One of my favorite spiritual questions to ask over the past two years has been: If you could memorize five chapters of the Bible, which five would you choose and why? You can learn a lot about someone and spur great conversations through this question. After the excitement rises with the prospect of memorizing five, I simply ask, why don’t you do it? Some roll their eyes, but some have embarked on the quest.
Now I extend the challenge to you. If you have never memorized a chapter, the challenge is to start with one. If you have a habit of memorizing, pick three and write them on your heart. The challenge: over a lifetime, write and sustain five different chapters (or longer sections of Scripture) on your heart."
Jesus loves you, and He died to save you from the penalty of your sins. He wants you to be reconciled to Him. If you want to be reconciled to God, and begin an exciting relationship with Him, forgiven and free, all you have to do is to say this sinner's prayer with all of your heart.
"Heavenly Father, I come to you in prayer asking for the forgiveness of my sins. I confess with my mouth and believe with my heart that Jesus is your Son, and that he died on the Cross at Calvary that I might be forgiven and have Eternal Life in the Kingdom of Heaven. Father, I believe that Jesus rose from the dead and Jesus, I ask you right now to come in to my life and be my personal Lord and Savior. I repent of my sins and will worship you all the days of my life!. Because your word is truth, I confess with my mouth that I am born again and am cleansed by the blood of Jesus! In Jesus' name, Amen."
(If you said the sinner's prayer with all your heart, then praise the Lord as you have been saved and you are now a child of God! You have been adopted into His family. To grow in relationship with your Father God, and Christ Jesus your Saviour, find a Spirit-led church and join a community of believers so they can encourage you in your walk!)
Christian blog of the week
Thank you Cyberanger for awarding my blog entry Christian blog of the week for May 3. What an encouragement! & Thank you Abba Father. Would your name spread far and wide, and may your glory fill the earth as the waters cover the sea.
Starting a journey
On 2 Jan 2009, I began a journey with like-minded Christians in the Wesley prayer team ...over the next 12 months, we were to read the same Scriptural passages each day, and pen down the insights God is revealing to us. And so began this blog… to encourage each other on the Word of God.
Since then, the Lord has moved me to Cornerstone Community Church, and this blog has also morphed along with it. My heart is for revival for Singapore and the nations, worship, prayer, my nation's destiny and call and, above all, that many in my land will be reconciled to Papa God. It is of these things that I find myself often musing on as a redeemed one. And I hope in the days to come to continue chronicling the mighty and loving acts of God in our generation!
