At times when my heart was troubled, The Lord kept telling me to stay in close communion with Him; not to listen to what others told me. Just pay attention to what God told me. I believed God was the One to lead me to read the book by Max Lucado titled 'More like Jesus' today though Heng bought it before. It was no accident. I was reading this part written not by a monk but a busy educator and I realized that when my heart was troubled, I lost the most important thing in the world. My close and unbroken communion with The Lord and the joy that came out of it.
As he wrote, I could identity with what he experienced. I didn't know this was unbroken communion with God until now. He said he was feeling God in each movement, by an act of will, willing that God shall direct his steps and the words he typed. This sense of being led by an unseen hand which takes his hand while another hand reaches ahead and prepares the way, grows upon him daily. He has tasted a thrill in fellowship with God which has made anything discordant with God disgusting. The possession of God has caught up with such sheer joy that he thought he had never known anything like it.
God was so close to him and so amazingly lovely that he felt like melting over with a blissful contentment. The thrill of filth now repelled him for he knew the power to drag him from God. And after an hour of close friendship with God, his soul felt clean again. Oh this thing of keeping in constant touch with God, making Him the object of his conversation, is the most amazing thing to him. He now thinks more clearly, forgets less frequently. Things which he did with a strain before, he now could do easily and with no effort.
He worried about nothing and lost no sleep. He walked on air most of the time. Even the mirror revealed a new light in his eyes and face. He no longer felt in a hurry about anything. Everything went right. Each minute was met calmly as though it were not important. He remembered how as he looked at people with a love God gave; they looked back and acted as though they wanted to go with him. He saw for a day, a little of the pull Jesus had as He walked along the road day after day radiant with the endless communion of His soul with God.
As for me, I couldn't even remember the number of times I felt so overwhelmed by a revelation of His love for me and how I was swept away in a world of just me and my God. Still reeling from the intoxicating love I experienced from God, I saw the world with brand new eyes. Suddenly everything became more beautiful and the world became a much better place to live in. I knew I must be looking at people with the love God has given me. Other times when I was not so intoxicated with this great love, I went about my day with a blissful contentment of His nearness to me.
It was like I wasn't alone in doing my chores. Jesus was with me every moment in everything I did. As a result, there was a freshness and delight to the mundane tasks I had to do like ironing, washing and hanging clothes. As I did my laundry, I thought about His thoughts. It was like an endless conversation I had with God even after I ended my quiet time with Him. I was so conscious of His thoughts in my mind and I simply loved them. There was a touch of divinity in the little mundane things of life. As a result, the things I used to find it a strain now became enjoyable. It was lovely.
Other times I felt as if led by an invisible hand guiding my steps. It was all so subtle but if one was sensitive enough, he would know it was the hand of God. Oftentimes God worked through desires in my heart, even giving me ideas on where to go, what to do. As such I did not plan my week in advance. I did not worry about what to do as I woke up each day because I knew my steps were guided by The Lord. I knew He would put ideas in my mind as to what to do. Sometimes I felt a desire to go out and run some errands, other times I just felt like staying home. I just went with the flow.
It was so amazing to be in the flow with the Holy Spirit. Like that educator, I think more clearly nowadays and I forget less easily. I would be doing this thing and suddenly a thought would pop up reminding me to attend to something like pay a bill or what. I would try to respond promptly because there were times I pushed it aside and then I totally forgot about it. So I couldn't say The Lord didn't remind me. At other times I would be busy with my chores and The Lord would plant a thought that made me smile. He always channeled my thoughts to all things beautiful, praiseworthy, lovely, noble (Philippians 4:8).
Those days I walked in close communion with The Lord, I also walked with a skip in my steps. I found myself breaking out in songs frequently, if not whistling. I worried about nothing and lost no sleep. I was often not in a hurry and almost nothing could ruffle my feathers. As such I was able to meet calmly whatever news that came my way. In the past my usual mode would be to react and fret, jumping quickly to fix the situation. Nowadays I chose not to react so quickly. I took time to commit the matter to The Lord in prayer first and I waited upon Him to listen for instructions, whether He wanted me to act. Most of the times He would tell me to rest for the battle belongs to Him. And true enough, the matter was resolved before I needed to do anything about it. Praise The Lord!
What a sweet thing to be constantly in communion with Him! I am made happy by the Lord's presence every single day. Being with The Lord always makes me happy, no wonder bible says that in His presence is fullness of joy. It's really fun to be with The Lord. There is never a dull moment with Him. I believe it is the Lord's desire for every of His beloved child to draw near to Him and be in unbroken communion with Him everyday. It's really the abundant life that Christ has come to give us. Dear friends, why not make this decision to draw near to God today. Jesus is waiting for you.
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
2015: Year of Due Season
Since I am a stronger supporter of Pastor Joel Osteen's messages, I also tuned in to hear what he has to say about the year 2015. He started off the sermon with Galatians 6:9 'You will reap in due season if you faint not.' We all have dreams we want to see come to pass. After years of waiting and praying things still didn't seem to have changed. Don't give up. You are coming into a year of due season. 2015 is the year.
Don't settle where you are, know that God will finish what He started in you. We are entering into a due season year and God is showing up in your life. He is causing things to fall into place. This is the year you see the manifestation. Abundance is coming your way, God is going to put you on a high plane. Chains and bondages are being broken. You are going to feel a new joy, He is putting a new song in your heart. Divine connections are being set up. You are stepping into a new level of your destiny.
You need to get ready; you are coming into your due season, a season of harvest. Stay in faith. Restoration is coming. Something good is coming your way. When we live in expectancy, it gets His attention. All through the day we need to have this expectancy: This is my year to come into overflow. What was meant for harm, God turned it around for my good. My best part of my life is in front, I might have setbacks but God is setting me up for an even greater blessing. God will pay me double for what I have lost, double for the trouble.
This is also the year of restoration, vindication and new beginnings. You are in the right place, at the right time, be in the right frame of mind. Be expectant of a breakthrough! Do you believe it is your due season year? Jesus is passing you by, He is moved by your faith. Say 'Lord, I want to thank You that this is my due season year!' He is opening doors that no one can shut, setting up divine connections. He is going to restore what was lost suddenly. You didn't see it coming.
This year, God is going to give you something to talk about. He is going to make you an example of His goodness, you will taste and see that He is good. Though everyone can look back and say God did something marvelous in their past, they have not seen anything yet. What God is doing in this due season year is going to be bigger, better and more rewarding than before! You need to get ready, for His blessings are going to chase us down the streets (Deut 28:2).
This year, God is going to surprise you. Suddenly, out of the ordinary, unexpectedly. If He shows you the surprises in store for you, it will blow your mind. In this due season year, things are suddenly going to fall into place. David said in Psalms 27:13 'Where would I be if I had not believed in the goodness of God?' If you had not believed, you would miss out on the blessings. God has blessings in store for us in heaven.
There are blessings that have your name on it stored up for us. God already destined for these blessings to be ours. He is about to release some of those blessings this year. Live with an expectancy. In 2015, God is going to amaze you with His goodness. Dreams come to pass, promises fulfilled, and you are moving into a new level of your destiny!
Don't settle where you are, know that God will finish what He started in you. We are entering into a due season year and God is showing up in your life. He is causing things to fall into place. This is the year you see the manifestation. Abundance is coming your way, God is going to put you on a high plane. Chains and bondages are being broken. You are going to feel a new joy, He is putting a new song in your heart. Divine connections are being set up. You are stepping into a new level of your destiny.
You need to get ready; you are coming into your due season, a season of harvest. Stay in faith. Restoration is coming. Something good is coming your way. When we live in expectancy, it gets His attention. All through the day we need to have this expectancy: This is my year to come into overflow. What was meant for harm, God turned it around for my good. My best part of my life is in front, I might have setbacks but God is setting me up for an even greater blessing. God will pay me double for what I have lost, double for the trouble.
This is also the year of restoration, vindication and new beginnings. You are in the right place, at the right time, be in the right frame of mind. Be expectant of a breakthrough! Do you believe it is your due season year? Jesus is passing you by, He is moved by your faith. Say 'Lord, I want to thank You that this is my due season year!' He is opening doors that no one can shut, setting up divine connections. He is going to restore what was lost suddenly. You didn't see it coming.
This year, God is going to give you something to talk about. He is going to make you an example of His goodness, you will taste and see that He is good. Though everyone can look back and say God did something marvelous in their past, they have not seen anything yet. What God is doing in this due season year is going to be bigger, better and more rewarding than before! You need to get ready, for His blessings are going to chase us down the streets (Deut 28:2).
This year, God is going to surprise you. Suddenly, out of the ordinary, unexpectedly. If He shows you the surprises in store for you, it will blow your mind. In this due season year, things are suddenly going to fall into place. David said in Psalms 27:13 'Where would I be if I had not believed in the goodness of God?' If you had not believed, you would miss out on the blessings. God has blessings in store for us in heaven.
There are blessings that have your name on it stored up for us. God already destined for these blessings to be ours. He is about to release some of those blessings this year. Live with an expectancy. In 2015, God is going to amaze you with His goodness. Dreams come to pass, promises fulfilled, and you are moving into a new level of your destiny!
Year of His RESToration
Pastor Prince just revealed the theme for 2015 during last Sunday's sermon. It is the year of His restoration. He said for those who have lost loved ones or relationships last year, there is good news. Something better is coming your way. Christ on the cross is the love of God, paying for the ransom of us. When man restores, it is never the same as the original. When God restores, it is always greater in quality or quantity or both. Primarily, there are three ways the restoration will take place.
1) Joel 2:25 says 'I will restore to you the years that the locusts have eaten.' The years spent out of fellowship with God are wasted years but if we turn to God, He will restore the years. All the broken pieces will come together in 2015. But we have to believe that God is a God of restoration and He will restore. We have to say 'Lord, restore!'
2) God will restore our soul, our mind, our emotions. If you have been depressed, lost your joy, encountered heartaches, He will restore your joy and heal your emotional wounds. Psalms 23:3 says 'He restores my soul; He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.' God will bring us back to the days of our youth with our minds restored.
3) God will restore health to us. Jeremiah 30:17 says 'For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds.' In the Hebrew definition, wounds here refer to prolonged plaques and chronic conditions. Some of us have been living with chronic illness for such a long time, believing for God to heal us but nothing seems to be happening. This will be the year that the manifestation of healing comes forth. Don't give up.
God's laws in Exodus 22:1 says 'If a man steals an ox or a sheep, slaughters it or sells it, he shall restore five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep.' Because of the crime done to him, he becomes a gainer. This is the law of God: the greater the loss, the greater the restoration, the greater the sorrow, the greater the joy. Whenever we have an attack, look out for spoils. You will come to a place where you will say to the devil 'Because you attacked me, I have now become a gainer!'
Whatever we have lost, stop asking why. One day in heaven we will know the reason. But don't give up, continue to believe God for restoration. How then can we position ourselves for restoration? Christ has already accomplished it for us at the cross. Our fight is a fight of faith, we fight from victory ground, not for victory. The key is to rest in The Lord. RESToration comes when we rest in The Lord. When we rest, God works. When we work, God rests. This can be seen in Ruth's story, when Naomi told her to rest while Boaz went about her redemption. She said that man will not rest until this matter is resolved.
I was excited to hear this because I had experienced so many attacks last year. Attacks on my mind, my body, my family's health etc. I was asking God where is the good coming out of those attacks for I understood the principle of restoration. Yet for most part of the year I didn't see the restoration for the things stolen. But since the last month of 2014, I started to see the turnaround. I started to see the good coming out of the attacks. I saw how the devil meant for my harm but God turned it around for my good. All the good things started coming up to the surface last month. Yet God tells me that this is just the beginning, more to come. I know that God will not rest until the full restoration work is completed.
1) Joel 2:25 says 'I will restore to you the years that the locusts have eaten.' The years spent out of fellowship with God are wasted years but if we turn to God, He will restore the years. All the broken pieces will come together in 2015. But we have to believe that God is a God of restoration and He will restore. We have to say 'Lord, restore!'
2) God will restore our soul, our mind, our emotions. If you have been depressed, lost your joy, encountered heartaches, He will restore your joy and heal your emotional wounds. Psalms 23:3 says 'He restores my soul; He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.' God will bring us back to the days of our youth with our minds restored.
3) God will restore health to us. Jeremiah 30:17 says 'For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds.' In the Hebrew definition, wounds here refer to prolonged plaques and chronic conditions. Some of us have been living with chronic illness for such a long time, believing for God to heal us but nothing seems to be happening. This will be the year that the manifestation of healing comes forth. Don't give up.
God's laws in Exodus 22:1 says 'If a man steals an ox or a sheep, slaughters it or sells it, he shall restore five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep.' Because of the crime done to him, he becomes a gainer. This is the law of God: the greater the loss, the greater the restoration, the greater the sorrow, the greater the joy. Whenever we have an attack, look out for spoils. You will come to a place where you will say to the devil 'Because you attacked me, I have now become a gainer!'
Whatever we have lost, stop asking why. One day in heaven we will know the reason. But don't give up, continue to believe God for restoration. How then can we position ourselves for restoration? Christ has already accomplished it for us at the cross. Our fight is a fight of faith, we fight from victory ground, not for victory. The key is to rest in The Lord. RESToration comes when we rest in The Lord. When we rest, God works. When we work, God rests. This can be seen in Ruth's story, when Naomi told her to rest while Boaz went about her redemption. She said that man will not rest until this matter is resolved.
I was excited to hear this because I had experienced so many attacks last year. Attacks on my mind, my body, my family's health etc. I was asking God where is the good coming out of those attacks for I understood the principle of restoration. Yet for most part of the year I didn't see the restoration for the things stolen. But since the last month of 2014, I started to see the turnaround. I started to see the good coming out of the attacks. I saw how the devil meant for my harm but God turned it around for my good. All the good things started coming up to the surface last month. Yet God tells me that this is just the beginning, more to come. I know that God will not rest until the full restoration work is completed.
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