"You ask, why is passion so important? Why are dreams important?
Let me ask you, why is love so important? Why is it important to go deep? To root yourselves? To understand, to know the truth? To see things are they are? The important things are often invisible. They will bear fruit, but in their own time."
It's late, I'm doing my laundry, and I'm still up. I'm thinking about my students.
I had a privilege of teaching an undergraduate math class this semester. It was completely different from relief teaching in high school. Mainly because they're so much closer in age and they're also much smarter than me. Seriously! And they are some of the most amazing, motivated, curious people I've met. Seriously!
I just finished grading their exam today and turned in the textbooks. I think I miss them already :P
Some of them are going to be so amazed by how they did overall. Its awesome, they should celebrate! Congrats!!
Some of them are going to feel disappointed. They did not do as well as they hoped. But they tried their best, and for that, they should celebrate!
At the same time, our emotions are important. It is natural to feel sad, especially if it is something we worked very hard on. And God is someone who empathizes with us. He is here to say, "I know how much it hurts." It really does hurt.
But they will arise from the dust. The wind and the sand cannot stop them. They will not give up. That is their greatest victory.
The skies were overcast, and rain fell in a light drizzle.
As I walked down the street, I felt His presence surround me. I smiled and snuggled in His arms. I looked at my life and what I have done. He has done so much for me, and me? I feel like I have only been messing around, not accomplishing anything. I backed away from His embrace. "God, don't invest so much in me. I'm not worth anything. I like having you around, but I will never accomplish much. Don't put too much hopes in me."
He paused. There was a silence. He was deep in thought.
Then, He said, "Let me tell you something..."
I waited. There was no response. Puzzled, I looked up, wondering what He would say next.
And there, the sun shone through the clouds. It nearly blinded me. The clouds parted for the moment, and the sun put everything in their glory.
Then, He said, "You cannot stop the sun from shining." He continued, "The clouds may come, the rains may fall, but the sun continues shining. Nobody can stop it from shining."
"Just be yourself."
And I saw my mind, my soul, my spirit glow with its own light. He likes me for who I am. He likes my quirkiness, my ups and downs, my humor, my struggles, my moments of intense joy. My life is interesting, many things have happened, many things are coming. I love my life. I wouldn't give it up for anyone else's. My successes worth celebrating, and my struggles even more amazing than my successes, though few people celebrate their struggles. People can judge me, will judge me, but as for me, I rejoice in who I am, because my Judge reviewed who I am and called it good.
"You are above and beyond understanding. If we did not praise, the rocks would cry out."
I love my car. It's beaten-down, worn-out, takes a while to warm up every morning. It has many dents and scratches, dust on the inside, dirt on the outside. Recently, its windshield cracked too.
But it goes places with me. It has character, almost a personality of its own. It is faithful, trustworthy. I love my car Shine.
And God is reminding me, that I'm like that car to Him. He loves spending time with me, every single moment. He loves every scratch, bump and crack. One day, He might give me a complete haul-over. But I matter more to Him than that. He likes me the way I am. Gee... : )
When we fully embrace our humanity and we catch a glimpse of His deity, we start to marvel at His creation, how He created both to be meshed together! This, is Grace.
Oh, how He loves us!
He is jealous for me Love's like a hurricane, I am a tree Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory and I realize just how beautiful You are and how great your affections are for me. Oh, how He loves us so Oh, how He loves us How He loves us so.
Yeah, He loves us Woah, how He loves us Woah, how He loves us Woah, how He loves.
So we are His portion and He is our prize, Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes If grace is an ocean we're all sinking So heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss and my heart turns violently inside of my chest I don't have time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way
That he loves us, Woah, how He loves us Woah, how He loves us Woah, how He loves
He loves us, Woah, how He loves us Woah, how He loves us Woah, how He loves
There was an old homeless man carrying a lot of big bags and with a torn jacket. He walked into the seminar room where we were having a department talk on quantum information. He put down his bags, sat on the side steps and started to listen intently to the lectures. Then, he looked at me, and his eyes were so simple. His gaze pierced straight into my core. I thought, he could be Jesus for all we know, but ignored by everyone else in the room.
In this season, every insignificant thing seems to be stripped away one by one. Until we are left facing our biggest fears. The ones that has been with us all our lives. The ones that live subconsciously, unconsciously. The ones which we thought we had dealt with but find are still around when we turn the corner. I see my friends around me. Their eyes, glazed over. Hopes melt away. What they knew, they now question. Then I realize I'm not alone.
Just when I thought, no one else understands. True, no one knows what really is going on deep in our hearts. No one else has experienced it before. We stand at the frontier. We are the first there. The giants snarl before us. The waves threaten to swallow us. We are like tiny midgets. "Where are you, God? WHERE ARE YOU?!" There is silence. We wait, but there is no sound.
A gentle breeze blows in the distance. We look around us, we are not alone. Everyone is taking their stand. We each face the bears and lions we fought before, only bigger. A light flickers inside us. It stirs. It arises, slowly but surely. He is with us. This time, He is inside.
We were made for glory. All of us special, all of us unique. Our journeys brought us here. He would not lead us here, if we were not ready. "There is much strength in you, that you know not about." Be strong and courageous. Now is the time.
My Father loves me for who I am. For who I am now. For who I am in my deepest, beyond my deeds, beyond my habits, beyond my personality. He loves my core, my seed. He loves the sinner. He loves the hungry. He loves the sick. He loves the troubled. He loves the homeless. He loves the loveless. What is this love. I can never fully understand.
In His eyes, I am good. I am perfect. I'm His apple. I'm His favorite. He loves my voice, my eyes, my hands, my feet. He loves every strand of hair on my head. He loves my smell. He loves the way I move, the way I speak, the way I cry. Its all special to Him, its all precious to Him. Who am I? Who am I that He should do this? What does He see in me? What makes Him smile? Why is He like this? Who made Him like this? Who told Him to love me? Why should He love me? What does He see in me?
What if God was not good? What if He allowed bad things to happen? What if He is silent? What if He is gone, away? Why did Job stick by His God? What did he see in Him? Who is his God? Who is this God? What is the seed of God? What is the core of God? The immutable, the unchangeable? Not His deeds? Not His emotions? Not His words? What is the core of God that is so mesmerizing? Why is He like this? Who is He? Who is this God? How can He know me and yet I don't know Him?
When Moses met God face to face for the first time, God also met Moses face to face, as he is, for the first time. Moses had nothing to hide before God, and God did not hide His glory from Moses. Moses knew he was not perfect, but it did not stop him from coming before his Lover. His desire was greater.
That's the feeling of being real before God. It is like an airplane landing on a runway. The rubber hits the tarmac. The two surfaces engage each other. There is contact. Face to face is brutal honesty. Are we ready to be brutally honest before God? Its scary at first, but really it is not, if you know what He is like. He desires to be brutally honest with us, about Himself. He wants to reveal His glory. We got to press in, past the fear. This requires boldness.
The physical realm around us, there is a reason it doesn't feel real. When we take an outside look, everything is a bunch of atoms, acting and reacting to forces and to each other. Say music. It is just vibrations in the air. What makes music real? When we soak it in and it hits our mind, our emotions. So we take one step deeper. The spirit realm. That's gotta be real. Angels and demons warring it out. Signs and wonders. The physical realm is a reflection, a shadow of the spirit realm. But that's still not real enough. The rubber is not hitting the road. Why should the angels be on their missions? Why are there tsunami's in that realm?
The most real place in the world, is in the center of God's heart. We've all been there. In a quiet moment of worship, after a long day of work. We are at peace. Nothing else matters. Everything else fades away. That IS reality. From that reality, comes shadows and reflections in the spirit and physical realm. The history of the world is in His control, being orchestrated from His heart. He gives us the privilege of being there, beyond the outer courts and the inner courts. Past the veil, to the center. At the heart, the ark of His presence.
You're My Beloved You're My Bride To sing over you is My delight Come away with Me My love
You're Beautiful to Me So beautiful to Me
Under My mercy Come and wait Till we are standing face to face I see no stain on you My child
You're Beautiful to Me So Beautiful to Me
I sing over you My song of peace Cast all your care down at My feet Come and find your rest in Me
I'll breathe My life inside of you I'll bear you up on eagle's wings And hide you in the shadow of My strength I'll take you to My quiet waters I'll restore your soul Come rest in Me and be made whole
You're My beloved You're My Bride To sing over you is my delight Come away with me my love
"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." @ Eph 2:4-7
Most of us think of our seat in heaven as a seat of power. It is, but that's not what it is primarily. It really is the seat of intimacy. Being next to the Father, and close to Jesus. The place where we tell silly jokes to each other, and feast on cheesecakes, pizza and chocolate wassants. With great excitement and pride, He unveils the plan of His creation to us.
John the Baptist was a revolutionary of his time. When the religious leaders of his time were teaching obedience to the rules as a sign of commitment to God, he told people,
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
He was saying, "Change the way you think about God. Forgiveness of sins is here. The veil is torn. Everyone has access to the Father. The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead raised, and the good news preached to the poor. God saves." We spent the next two thousand years understanding all that.
In these last days, God is calling modern day John-the-Baptists, to prepare the way for Him. What is the message?
"Jesus is coming for His bride."
It is the most important revelation that binds everything else together. This word is so deep. It will require a lot of unpacking. The Holy Spirit alone will show us. He is accelerating the times. There has been a flood of revelation, and more is on the way.
I wish I always keep this revelation in my heart and never lose it. Every time I chance on it again, I realize that this is what my life is all about, what the universe is about, what He is about. In the light of it, every thing else becomes crystal clear.
That it is not about living a perfect life. That I will always make mistakes and I will fail. There is no point to me saying, "This will be the last time I'm doing something stupid." He never required that from us. Rather, he is such a big God! His plans are perfect, He knows exactly what he is doing and he knows exactly who we are. That he is always around to pick us up, to wipe our wounds, to comfort us, to say he feels our pain, no matter how much of it is self-inflicted or self-caused. He is a gentleman. He is a loving father. It is not about me becoming better through the lessons. Yes, that happens. But its about Daddy. I gain when I lose my focus of myself and where I am and catch a glimpse of him. It makes me wonder why I think anything else mattered.
It makes me want to write about him. About him alone. Tell the world how wonderful he is. I don't say it enuff. Revelation is not complicated. Its just about him, and he's easy. He loves his bride. Oh, to such an embarrassing degree. He is not ashamed of us.
"I'm coming for my bride, and you are my bride. Even if you are the only one, I'm coming for you. Just as I still would have died for you even if you were the only one. I want you to imagine that I'm coming for you alone. Yes, that's right. That's exactly how it is, because it is the heart of intimacy. That's how I'm coming for my bride, for each and every one of you, because all of you are special to me."
how long have I been in this storm so overwhelmed by the ocean's shapeless form water's getting harder to tread with these waves crashing over my head
if I could just see you everything will be alright if I'd see you the storminess will turn to light
and I will walk on water and you will catch me if I fall and I will get lost into your eyes and everything will be alright and everything will be alright
I know you didn't bring me out here to drown so why am I ten feet under and upside down barely surviving has become my purpose cause I'm so used to living underneath the surface
Be Still (Kari Jobe)
He is here for the broken and life to the one who is undone He is peace to the wounded and hope for the helpless one He is here, He is here
Be still my soul, be still Be still my soul, be still Wait patiently upon the Lord Be still my soul, be still
When the waves rise against me and the wind tries to draw me away I will stand on the mountain, safe in Your arms I will sing I will sing
Be still my soul, be still Be still my soul, be still Wait patiently upon the Lord Be still my soul, be still
Be still I know He is God He is here, He is here Be still I know He is God He is here, He is here
I have been wondering, did I get it wrong? Should it not be "Returning to the Secret Place?" instead of "Rebuilding"? What does rebuilding mean?
He wants to rebuild the secret place. Returning makes sense only if we had left the place. But He wants to affirm us, that we have been faithful. Now, He is going to show us even more. He is going to reconstruct and redefine our notions of Intimacy. He is going to release revelations that will transform our walk with Him. This transition is not going to be easy. It will rub against every grain in our body. It will take Trust to know that He knows what He is doing.
In worship, we sing, not for those around us, not for the angels in the heavens, not to create a breakthrough in the atmospheres, but for the Audience of One. For Him alone. He adores our voice. He is mesmerized by it. It is like the world is shut out and falls away. All our problems become distant and insignificant. The people become merely shadows. The universe, I am alone with Him. Just Him, and me. The Audience of One.
In our lives, we live, not for those around us, not for the angels in the heavens, not to create a breakthrough in the atmospheres, but for the Audience of One. For Him alone. He adores our life. He is mesmerized by it. He shines His face on us, and we shine with His glory. For the Audience of One.
We seek the Audience of One. But do we realize He treats us with the same honor? I am His audience of one.
"I am a jealous God. I want you alone. In the secret place, that's where we truly meet. That meeting means the world to me. What we do there, its between us. Us alone. No one else has to know."
"It is time to rebuild the secret place. It is time to take ownership of the promised land, Intimacy."
"Battles are won in the secret place. History is changed. Lives transformed. I will show you even more, what lies ahead in that place. You will be blown away. If only you knew, now."
"It's been a tough night, but morning is here. It is time to arise and shine."
We are in a marketplace, many people moving around, buying things, like for a dinner, for a celebration. Lots of activity, people shouting, singing, laughter, joy. People dancing. There is an air of excitement, an air of expectancy, and an air of hope.
"Live in it. Soak it in. That's the reality. The many people you do not see, the angels, the other spiritual creatures. The heavens are moving, and the earth is waiting. The time is now.''
"I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart." @ Jer 24:7
Father, help me to know you. To experience your realness. Give me a new heart.
It's been a while since I wrote. I really miss it. Things have been busy, but the bigger reason is this: I've been thinking about "ownership", and trying to understand what it means.
I first heard Him talk about it three weeks ago. There were certain areas of my life that seemed to be at a standstill, and I needed a breakthrough. "The key," He said, "is Ownership."
Remember Moses, after the Israelites complained about him angering the Pharoah, said to God,
"O Lord, why have you brought trouble upon this people? Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued your people at all." @ Exo 5:22
And later, when the Israelites worshipped the golden calf, the Lord said,
"Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. ... I have seen these people, and they are a stiff-necked people. Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation." @ Exo 32:7-10
But Moses reminded the Lord of His people,
"O LORD, why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?" @ Exo 32:11
The things we own, are the things we will love, protect and sow into.
God desires to bless all that's in our hands. Except that we refuse to hold anything as ours. We let things happen to us, saying it is God's will. We wait for circumstances to make decisions for us. We say that nothing belongs to us, because we are only stewards. This is the mentality of the man who hid his one talent in the ground (Matt 25:14-30). God's picture of stewardship is much bigger than ours. "It is a co-laboring, it belongs not to Me or to you, but to us."
"If you would only reach out and claim what is yours, I will bless it, because you are important to me, and what is important to you is important to me too."
This is why God called Joshua and the Israelites to conquer the promised land. He did not just give it to them. He wanted them to take possession of it. He blessed everything that they laid their hands on. For the same reason, God is calling us to be strong and courageous, to take possession of all that Christ has paid the price for. Because the act of ownership allows God to release His blessings into something that would otherwise be meaningless, belonging to no one.
I struggled with this concept, because I thought He was asking me to own up to my problems. He does not say, "This is your problem, you better solve it!" He is not asking us to own the problem. He is asking us to own the very thing the problem is stealing from us! If we are sick, then it is our health that is being stolen from us. In realizing that our health belongs rightfully to us, that God has given it to us, that we are not unworthy of it because Christ has paid the price, we begin to take possession of it again. I want to take ownership of my work, my finances, my friendships, my family, my gifts, my passions, my emotions, my thoughts, my body, my will. They are the Lord's and they are mine too. This is where we begin to shine.
"You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: 'If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.' The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, 'I am trembling with fear.'
But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel." @ Hebrews 11:18-24.
My friend Jeremy used to call his car Shon. Later, when he sold me his car, we decided jokingly that we should change the name to Shine. The next day, we were hiking in Yosemite and noticed that the Gatorade bottle we had said this:
Found it on the LA Dream Center website. Indeed, it is "the night of dreams", remembering the dreams that God has given us, His promises. Using what we have in our hands, not what we do not have. Seeing what we have been blessed with, not what we lack. And "09/09/09", it is the number of fruitfulness, the nine fruits of the Spirit.
I checked out a friend's link to the Dreamcenter and saw that the latest blog entry was called "Shining". Wow. It never fails to amaze me how many times God tries to get our attention!
In short, whether you are speaking to a crowd of a million people, or scrubbing floors and corners in Starbucks, you are both serving the Lord and shining for Him (haha, i like the literal meaning of this one for Starbucks). There is no difference. There really really isn't.
"... I want you to know that I'm not letting go even when you come undone. I love you more than the sun and the stars that I taught how to shine. You are mine, and you shine for me too... "
More (Matthew West)
Take a look at the mountains Stretching a mile high Take a look at the ocean Far as your eye can see And think of Me
Take a look at the desert Do you feel like a grain of sand? I am with you wherever Where you go is where I am
And I'm always thinking of you Take a look around you I'm spelling it out one by one
I love you more than the sun And the stars that I taught how to shine You are mine, and you shine for me too I love you yesterday and today And tomorrow, I'll say it again and again I love you more
Just a face in the city Just a tear on a crowded street But you are one in a million And you belong to Me
And I want you to know That I'm not letting go Even when you come undone
I love you more than the sun And the stars that I taught how to shine You are mine, and you shine for me too I love you yesterday and today And tomorrow, I'll say it again and again I love you more I love you more
Shine for Me Shine for Me Shine on, shine on Shine for Me
I love you more than the sun And the stars that I taught how to shine You are mine, and you shine for me too I love you yesterday and today And tomorrow, I'll say it again and again I love you more
Than the sun and the stars that I taught how to shine You are mine, and you shine for me too I love you, yesterday and today Through the joy and the pain I'll say it again and again I love you more I love you more
And I see you And I made you And I love you more than you can imagine More than you can fathom I love you more than the sun And you shine for me
Not sure why, this song has been ringing in my head for a long time...
Lincoln Brewster - God You Reign
You paint the night You count the stars and You call them by name The skies proclaim God You reign Your glory shines You teach the sun when to bring a new day Creation sings God You reign
God You reign God You reign Forever and ever God You reign
You part the seas You move the mountains with the words that you say My song remains God You reign You hold my life You know my heart and You call me by name I live to say God You reign
I was having one of my down days. Many disappointments, sadness, grief, feelings of failure. I tried to come to Him, but felt as though I could not hear His voice. I struggled. I needed Him badly.
"I am pleased with you," He said.
"God, I don't need this now, I need to know you are real. I need to hear your voice. How do I know this is you?", I said.
"I am pleased with you. I will say it again. I am pleased with you. I will never be tired of saying it. Because I mean it. I don't say things to make you feel better. I say it because it is true."
"But Father, how could I have pleased you? I have disappointed you, I have disobeyed you, I have failed, I did not accomplish anything. I have not done anything that would make you happy."
He paused, deep in thought, as if memories are running through his head.
"Because you are still here," He replied, with tears are in His eyes.
And I saw a battle scene, and many were wounded. But they were not destroyed. God does not require anything from us, no tasks, no accomplishments, no successes. But the bible does mention something that pleases Him. "Without faith, it is impossible to please God."
And we only have to come back to Him. This is both the easiest thing and the hardest thing to do. To Him, it touches His heart deeply, immensely. To the beaten-down warriors out there, don't give up! God is good and He is more than enough.
Today, I want to share a photo that affected me deeply when I saw it. If there is anything such as prophetic photography, this is it.
An awesome brudder, Jerald, took it when he was in Brazil, of a huge statue of "Christ the Redeemer". (Incidentally, he took it when it was dark under long exposure.) Wanted to share it here, since we are on the topic of Shine.
God has blessed me with many amazing brothers in Christ over the years, and Jerald is truly a man after God's heart. Please do check out his blog. Deep revelations pouring out of his intimacy with his Lord and Brother.
Lastly, he shared with me a testimony about a Singaporean lady who had severe osteoporosis, rheumatism and leukemia at 30 years old and was going to die. Her testimony of how God healed her is amazing. Even more amazing is her encounter with God on her own kitchen floor... looking into the loving eyes of Jesus! Indeed, the lamp of the body is the eye.
All of us have our reasons for believing in God. Some of us, crazy encounters, that the world would not believe even if we told them. But we know what we saw, heard, experienced. Those who have been given much, much would also be expected of them. And as the lady reminds us, when Jesus showed Thomas his hands, He gave him a crazy encounter. But He also said, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Faith pleases God.
I saw this video at church last Sunday, and it really spoke to me because of all the things I've been seeing, hearing, wondering.. about Shine. Awesome. There are no coincidences :) Check it out!
1. May the Lord makes His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.
2. From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth.
3. Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.
4. Even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.
5. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.
6. Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
7. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
8. For God, who said, "let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
When God talks about light, He is talking about life.
John 1:4-5 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
How do we have life? How do we become alive? How do we shine? First, don't hide what you have. Second, let yourself be filled.
Luke 11:33 -36 "No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light. The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light."
The secret to being filled is our spiritual eyes. It is the window INTO our soul, our spirit. What do we see in the world around us? What do we see in other people? What do we see in ourselves? What do we see in God? The lamp of the body is the eye. If we see as He sees, our body will be filled with life. Sit at His feet, look into His face. His love will transform us. His perspectives will change us. His joy will fill us. From the inside out.
How do we know if what we see is real? Externally, by its fruits. But more importantly, internally, because His ability is speak to us is greater than our ability to hear Him. We have to trust Him.
Indeed, this is the greatest blessing God has to give to us. He wanted Moses and Aaron to pray this for the Israelites.
Numbers 6:22-26 The LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron and his sons, 'This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace." ' So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them."
Psalm 4:6-8 Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD. You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.
"The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; his word was on my tongue. The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me:
'When one rules over men in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth.' "
2 Sam 23:2-4
"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you.
Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the arm.
Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come.''
I had a dream Friday night. Don't remember much of the details, but there was like a huge competitive event going on, and a lot of my friends from a long time ago was there. I remember someone fatherly giving me advice, saying "Unity is diversity and codependence." I replied, "You mean, Unity is codependence." He said, "No, it is DIVERSITY and codependence." And I understood that we are not united when we are all the same. Rather, it is our differences that make us strong.
I later checked the word "codependence" and realized that it is related to alcoholism and stuff. A better word might be "Interdependence" but I want to remain true to the word that I heard. Perhaps codependence is not just depending on each other, but that and also depending on God together.
In this revival, God is restoring intimacy and He is restoring the family.
He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Here's a good sermon about the family by Tommy Barnett. Check out the one on 21st June.
Secrets to a strong family: 1. Commitment to each other. 2. Quantity and quality time. 3. Showing appreciation all the time. 4. Communication. 5. Coping skills for crisis. 6. Strong faith.
A good word I heard at Highway Church: "There are two important things you as a daddy can do for your daughter. The first is teaching her to tie her shoelace. The second is teaching her to love herself. And you can only do that by learning to love yourself first." (paraphrased)
It is better to have dreamed and failed, then not to dream at all.
It is better to have believed and not see its fulfillment, then not to believe at all.
"These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect." Heb 12:39-40
When we believe, we are trusting in His character. The goodness of God will accomplish it. His power alone shall accomplish it. We do not believe because we fear disappointment. But when we believe, there is no disappointment.
"We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." Rom 5:2-5.
We have been taught that we should take risks in what we do. It is better to have tried and failed, then not to try at all. In the same way, take risks in what we believe. There is something mysterious about hope, something mysterious about faith. It changes the one who carries it. It connects us higher, deeper to Him.
"I'll tell you how to serve. Sit at my feet, like Mary. Listen to what I have to say. Martha, Martha, Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.''
"Are you serving the world or serving me? A changed man changes the world. You are more important to me than the world. I will feed you, then you can feed my sheep."
I was recommended this blog series on dating by Shawn Bolz, a candid young prophetic minister. He's one of my favorite guys because he doesn't say things to sound good or to please people. Just an honest dude trying to live life for God.
Its taken me a long time to figure out what is ministry and evangelism. A part of me always felt offended by these concepts. I think I understand why now.
I was offended by how sometimes it seems like we are helping others because we want them in the church, and later for them to become like us. That we felt there was something wrong with their lives and that needs correction. If we help others out of this intention, how could that be love? I would be very sad if that was all love was. Yet God's love is different, I always feel accepted in His presence. What is the difference? There is a saying "God loves you the way you are, but He loves you too much for you to remain that way." I don't like the second half. It doesn't convey His love right.
A friend taught me something new recently. I asked him, "What do you do when you spend time with God?" I was expecting him to say something like worship, or telling Him his thoughts and feelings, or reading the bible. But he said, "I don't know, I don't really do anything." I got a little annoyed, then God revealed to me the wisdom in his words. I've somehow felt that I need to have an agenda when I come before God. Something to do, or to ask, or to accomplish. Kinda like calling a friend on the phone only because you need something from him. Yet when God comes to us, He has no agenda. He just wants to be with us.
In the documentary "Finger of God", one of the last scene shows Heidi Baker praying for a muslim woman. The woman gets healed, and thanks Allah. Someone from the ministry team corrects her, saying it was Jesus, not Allah. The woman refuses to acknowledge that and they get into a slight disagreement. But Heidi replies, Allah healed you and He loves you. She smiles and says goodbye to the woman.
God heals us because He loves us, not to get us to come back to Him. Yes, He does want us with Him, but it is far from being his primary reason for healing us. Like a mother, seeing her runaway child go hungry, would send food and money his way because he needs it, and not because she wants him to come home. Loving unconditionally, that's another way to say it. And when we love like that, people change. It is a side-effect, not a goal. That love is powerful, probably the most powerful thing in the universe.
Lord, teach me to love radically, without agenda.
UPDATE ON 29 JUNE 2009:
There is promise in the bible for those who love without agenda,
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." Matt 5:8
I guess, during such times, we don't have to figure out or justify why we feel the way we feel. God just wants to come close and whisper, "I know how you feel".
This has been a tremendously tough week for me... my two closest brudders left for singapore. my parents came and left too. my heart is grieving. i do not know what to do. overwhelmed. truly overwhelmed. i need you God.
Jennie Riddle wrote Revelation Song, while singing a lullaby to her baby...
Therefore, I asked the Holy Spirit to help me write a song that painted Him; a song that the angels and creation were already singing, so that we could join in with One Voice, as One Bride, to One King.
...
"Revelation Song" made its very first public outing when I introduced it to my local church on a Sunday when the Lord moved in such a way that it was called for unrehearsed and "on the fly". The song resonated with the congregation, and Jesus danced, I’m just sure of it.It quickly became a loved song. Next, it was introduced to my students at the high school. God met us every time we used it from that point on.
Then, Kari Jobe recorded it and the rest is history. Read the rest of this powerful story here.
From "Good Morning, Holy Spirit" by Benny Hinn, Chapter 12.
***
Just after I began to preach the gospel, I met David DuPlessis. He was known as "Mr. Pentecost" as a result of his presentation of the Holy Spirit to world religious leaders. He was a charismatic before anyone knew what the word meant.
I was walking down the same hallway with this anointed man at a conference in Brockville, Ontario, when I summoned the courage to stop him and ask a question. I nervously asked him. "Dr. DuPlessis, how can I truly please God?"
The old man, who is now with Jesus, stopped, put his briefcase down, pointed his finger in my chest and pushed me against the wall. I certainly didn't expect that from a frail preacher. All I had said was, "How can I please God?" and he nailed me to the wall. Then he said two words that I have never forgotten. He said: "Don't try!" He picked up his little case and walked on down the hall.
I caught up with him and said, "Dr. DuPlessis, I don't understand."
He calmly turned around and said, "Young man, it's not your ability. It's His ability in you." Then he said, "Good night," and walked into his room.
As I walked into my room, I was still puzzled. I lay down on my bed and thought about those words. "It's not your ability. It's His ability in you."
In that moment I hardly knew what to pray, but the Spirit began to unlock the truth of those words to me. How can I please God? By yielding! By not even trying. It was just as Mr. Pentecost said. The Holy Spirit will do the work. It's not my strength; it's His. Otherwise I would boast of my own accomplishments.
On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood up and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture as said, streams of living water will flow from within him."
By this, he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time, the Spirit had not yet been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
We have heard great and marvelous things from the Lord, even deep and wonderful words of wisdom. But only when they are tested by fire, will they remain bonded to the heart.
I wish I was more of a man Have you ever felt that way And if I had to tell you the truth I'm afraid I'd have to say That after all I've done and failed to do I feel like less than I was meant to be
What if I could fix myself Maybe then I could get free I could try to be somebody else Who's much better off than me But I need to remember this That it's when I'm at my weakest I can clearly see
Chorus: He made the lame walk and the dumb talk He opened blinded eyes to see That the sun rises on His time Yet He knows our deepest desperate need And the world waits while His heart aches To realize the dream I wonder what life would be like if we let Jesus live through you and me
What if you could see yourself thru another pair of eyes What if you could hear the truth Instead of old familiar lies What if you could feel inside The power of the hand that made the universe You'd realize
Chorus:
All our hearts they burn within us All our lives we've longed for more So let us lay our lives before the one who gave His life for us
For the last few months, ever since my bike trip, I have been getting vivid flashbacks of my childhood and teenage days. Many hidden memories are coming slowly back to me. I have also been experiencing many emotions which I have never felt before. Sometimes, while in worship, I see myself sparking, like a florescent tube that has just been switched on. Many colors are flowing in and out. I think the colors represent these new emotions and the revival of old memories.
I think God is trying to heal me of my past and to show me who I am. A few days ago, something broke inside of me. I could feel a lot of pain coming out, but I have no idea where the pain is coming from. I am starting to feel afraid, not wanting the healing any longer. Part of me wants to bury the past and to go back to where I was before. But part of me knows wants to move on, because this is the only way I can be true to myself and true to Him. I can walk bravely forward, because He is with me. I am not afraid to fall, because He will pick me up. He calls out firmly and assuredly, "Trust Me." He knows what He is doing. I will overcome.
In swimming, the kicking, paddling, breathing matters. But what matters most is the body core. If the core is straight and streamline, a little kicking, paddling, breathing goes a long way.
In living, service and giftings matter. But what matters most is the heart. If the heart is right, a little serving and gifting goes a long way. We must focus on our hearts. Jesus came for my heart. He came to pursue it, capture it and heal it. Sometimes, we are too focused on trying to remove sin from our lives or to achieve our giftings or to minister to others. These are important to Him, and He is saying that He can only accomplish them by speaking to our hearts. In fact, our hearts (what we feel, who we are, how we know Him) are more important to Him than all these things.
In helping others, we don't focus on healing their sicknesses or enabling their gifts. We learn to love, and walk with their hearts in finding the right way. That's how Jesus walks with us. Along this way, God may ask us to enable their gifts or to heal their sicknesses.
In prophecy, rather than knowing what is in the minds of people, it is better to understand what is in their hearts. The mind is often unconscious of what is in the heart. In their hearts, we see the image of God in them, we see their passions and we see their destinies. If God gives us the key into their hearts, He will also give us the key to unlock their destinies.
Being born again means that we start out again as a baby. We don't grow up instantly. We have the pleasure of enjoying our childhood again, this time with Jesus.
