REMEMBER THE LORD IN YOUR PROMISED LAND

I have been hearing messages about this being the due season year and the year of His restoration. About how God's blessings and goodness will hunt us down. About how God is causing all things to fall into place. Promotion is coming, good breaks are coming, miracles are coming. Harvest time is here because I have sown good seeds years ago and fruits are fully manifesting.

About how I have been faithful with a few things and God is rewarding me. He is positioning me for increase, a new level of my destiny. All these messages cause me to be bursting with excitement and anticipation, wondering about what blessing is coming next. I understood that these things are preordained to come across my path this year. They are like the blessings with my name on them. As of now, some of these blessings already came to pass. Thank God.

Early this year, I was reminded to give thanks and praise to the Lord in the midst of difficulty. Praise Him in the midnight hour for my chains are about to come off. To take time to meditate on the victories of God in my life. Restoration is the fruit of thanksgiving. A new beginning is here, ushering in a season of restoration. To remember that the wilderness is not my home, it is my launching pad, so don't get comfortable there. All things in my life are coming to an order ordained by God. All promises are coming to fruition.

God is also telling me about having a thankful heart and a grateful attitude but in the context of prosperity and success. God is telling me to stick closely with Him, to follow His guiding and never be deceived into a complacent and undiscerning place by the environment around me, be it good or bad. A lush environment can often be deceptive if I am not walking in a grateful and contented heart. It takes both the lush and barren to complete the perfection of a thing just as all the seasons work together for the good when it comes to harvest time. Let patience have its perfect work so I will be found lacking in nothing.

When I heard John Gray preached about how certain things had to happen in your life, forming part of your destiny, it then occurred to me that such trials and troubles were part of God's plan. I wouldn't be the person today had it not been for the good and difficult things in my life. As much as I didn't like those things, I knew that God is working out all things for my good. And the end outcome will be good, it will be beautiful.

My heart is more at peace knowing that my steps are guided by the Lord. And those senseless and painful things in my life must necessarily happen to build character in me. Yet I believe those things were already cushioned with a lot of His mercy. They could be worse. Now that I am out of the crucible of fire, I have been through the waters, a season of fulfilment awaits me. Just like all the seasons of my life are working for my good in harvest time. Now is harvest time.

Just to make sure that I am equally prepared for the harvest times, God had to remind me again to remember Him. To give thanks and realise that this lush environment wouldn't be possible if not for Him. To always be grateful to God for what He has done, so that I wouldn't become proud in my own eyes. The season to come is a good season where I will see good things coming to the surface.

Success and prosperity has a way to lure people away from God since they didn't have to be so reliant on Him. Yet the Lord is warning me not to stray away from Him in such a good season. Don't be complacent, don't be apathetic, don't be deceived in good times. It seemed that God is releasing me into such a season of fulfilment and abundance because it was necessary. He has already done His work in my barren and wilderness seasons, so now this thing needs to be perfected in a lush environment.

The nature of harvest time is that all the seasons work together for the good. I am to let patience have its perfect work so that I will be found lacking in nothing. It seemed like I have been tested in the wilderness and found to be faithful, passing the test. Now God wants to see how I would respond in the promised land, in the midst of success, prosperity and abundance. One would think it would be easier to follow God in good times but more often than not, it was in such success that one strays away from Him.

Yes, barrenness and wilderness could cause one to be totally bitter with God and give up on Him or it could cause one to draw very near to Him. Because when times are tough, there is absolutely no other way to find refuge and comfort other than the wings of the Almighty. This increases our reliance on the Lord because we cannot, so He must act on our behalf. Though the wilderness is an uncomfortable place to be in, one finds the Lord in ways he never would. The closeness, the bond is forged in times of difficulty.

Nothing is impossible with the Lord yet some situations could be more conducive to finding Him and drawing near to Him. You would notice that in the wilderness, though the Israelites complained and murmured against God, eventually they still didn't fall away from Him. They still followed the pillar of fire and cloud all those forty years. Until they reached Kadesh Barnea the second time. But once they crossed over, there wasn't any pillar of fire and cloud to follow, just a small little Ark.

Yet the perils in the promised land were far greater than those in the wilderness because there were giants to conquer. The work wasn't completed yet. They needed to stay close to Him to obtain battle strategies in order to obtain victory. You would notice again that in the midst of fighting their enemies, the Israelites were still staying close to the Lord. But the crutch came after the fighting has ceased and they possessed majority of the promised land. It was then that they started straying from the Lord.

After the era of Joshua came the era of Judges. One would notice that when the Israelites were oppressed, they would cry out to the Lord and He would send a a judge to deliver them. After they had peace and rest in the land, they would stray away from God again. And the cycle would repeat itself. Indeed the bite of unseen things has more power to destroy than seen things. When you see things up front and personal, you know how to change, move, when to flee or make necessary adjustments along the way.

But when these things are hidden in invisible realms especially during the good times, when one is enjoying in the Promised Land, you can be deceived. It then occurred to me the greatest test of a person's character is not when he is in the doldrums but when he is most successful. In such places, one is most susceptible to falling away from the Lord. Hence one must guard against such things. No wonder God had to remind me to stick close to Him even in the promised land, after I see the manifestation of this dream.

HAZE

There has been a haze in our country caused by the Indonesian forest fires. The haze has been there for more than three weeks. Initially I wasn't bothered about it and didn't pray about it because the haze usually comes and goes. It would clear up by itself after a while. But this time, the haze has been persistent and became worse last Thursday, so much so that school was cancelled on Friday. Even our CG meeting was cancelled too. This was the first time it happened after I came to this church.

I was reminded of the time in June 2013 when the haze was at its worst, hitting hazardous levels of 400. That month happened to be the school holidays and we couldn't go anywhere towards the end of the holidays. I was hoping the haze would clear so I could bring Joshua out because in the last week of that holiday, I would be going back to part time work. Hence I wanted to make full use of whatever time I had with him in that holiday. I remembered feeling quite frustrated towards the end when the haze was so bad, it kept us confined at home.

This time round, I wasn't really that affected by the haze but I did pray when I heard Pastor praying on one particular Sunday. Pastor said initially he didn't pray but later the Lord told him to pray because the haze was going to get worse. I also prayed for a strong east wind to blow the haze away. But after we prayed, the haze didn't get better but worse that week. It hit hazardous levels. Thank God that on Friday there was a turnaround and we had clear skies on Saturday. Many people came out to exercise and we also celebrated Mooncake Festival that night. Then the haze came back on Sunday.

God is so good, He sent many showers over the past week and also yesterday, if not, the haze could be worse. I was just thinking one good thing that came out of this was I spent lesser money because we stayed at home most of the times...ha ha. But this morning, the haze became worse and I was wondering why the haze was still lingering. The weather forecast predicted that the haze would persist till Nov. That is too long a time. I pray it will clear up by next week.

HORAIOS: THE RIGHT TIME

Last week, a sister chanced upon this sermon preached by Dutch Sheets on 7 June 2014 at Cornerstone church and she emailed me to tell me. It was titled 'Entering a Season of Transition'. http://www.cscc.org.sg/index.php?option=com_restaurante&task=detail&Itemid=80&id=681 It was really apt, like she said because last year was a year of transition for me, ever since God came to tell me that my season was changing in Feb 2014.

Dutch Sheets began by talking about the sons of Issachar and 4 phases of time in the NT: chronos, kairos, horaios and pleroo. This is the first time I have heard of horaios time, pronounced hor-ray-os. I have been researching a lot more about kairos but I have not read about horaios. It is an even shorter window than kairos and is literally defined as the right time. A time where we decide that now we are going to do it.

In every season you will come to a time of kairos and horaios. You will come to the right time. You will shift into a new season. You got to let go of the old, renew your mind to receive the new things. Your thinking has got to change. Don't get stuck in old paradigms and methods. God is going to shift things in your life and He is going to do it very quickly. There will be an acceleration of what He is doing in your life.

When the gears are grinding and the shift is coming, you got to say 'God, if this is really You, then I am going to walk through this gate now.' All the pieces will come together and it will be a beautiful thing. The seasons are trying to connect. The winter season is coming to an end. The end has really come. The river of the Holy Spirit is about to rise. Now is the time for God to fulfil the promises you have received years ago but not yet come to pass. We have truly come to such a time like this.

Dutch Sheets gave the scripture reference from Acts 3. The lame man who laid at the temple gate called Beautiful was healed to walk again. The name for the gate, Beautiful, is "horaios" in Greek. When all things come together at the right time, it is a beautiful thing. Dutch Sheets explained that God was saving this miracle for the right time for more people were saved by Peter's message at that time than at Pentecost. If we can pass through this gate, God will do something beautiful.

The Strong's Concordance number for "horaios" is 5611 and there are only 4 occurences in the Bible. It means properly, a particular hour (a "season" of time); (figuratively) beautiful in timing, hence fruitful because fully developed (prepared, as in Romans 10:15). It also means ripe, mature (of fruits, of human age), hence it connotes blooming, beautiful (of the human body).

Horaios could be a moment or a day or a week or a month. A short period of time when you pull the trigger, when you decide that you are going to do it now. Get it now! When you discern the timing and seasons of God, have enough faith to say 'Let us take possession of this land now!' After you go through the gate Beautiful, you come to the fullness of time. Where the harvest is in the barn, when your dreams come to pass.

TESTS BEFORE A MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH

Some time ago I chanced upon this article which talked about how God will test you before a major breakthrough. The reason God is going to test you before your big, final breakthrough in Him is because He has to see if you have what it takes to actually make the grade in that specific calling for Him. He will test your mettle out like they do in the army with all of their recruits. Pass these tests and you will be finally promoted into God’s best for your life. Flunk these tests, and you will be not be promoted until you are ready to pass them at a later date. The three tests are: the obedience test, the patience test, the faith and belief test.

1) Obedience test

If we cannot be fully obedient to the specific commands and leadings of the Holy Spirit, then God will not be able to use us in the actual callings that He has set up for our lives. That is why God will test you in this specific area – to see if you will have the strength and character in your personality to be able to override the desires of your flesh and ego, and be willing to obey God over all of your wants and desires for these material and fleshly objects.

But whatever God may be asking you to do for Him, realize that this is an obedience test being sent your way and that you must fully obey the Lord with whatever He will be asking you to do for Him. If you do not obey His specific directive, and you choose to follow your own desires on these kinds of issues, then God will not be able to use you in the specific calling that He has set up for your life.

If you can’t or won’t obey God with this specific command, then God will question and doubt your ability to fully obey Him further on down the road with anything else that He may be asking you to do for Him. If you can agree to do things God’s way rather than your own way in this life, then you will be promoted into God’s best for your life, and you can then proceed to leave your mark in this world in the specific calling that He will be setting up for your life.

2) Patience test

Another type of test that God could place in your way right before your big breakthrough with Him is what I call the patience test. This is where you have done everything you have been asked to do, but now God is going to ask you to just sit and wait for the big breakthrough to occur.

A perfect example of this type of trying test in the Bible is the story of Moses and the parting of the Red Sea. No sooner does Moses rescue and deliver the Israelites from the Egyptians, that they are then brought before the Red Sea, stuck between the marauding armies of Egypt and the Red Sea. The Bible does not say how long God made them wait before He parted the Red Sea. But we know it was long enough to really try their patience, as many of them started complaining to Moses about it. Some of them even went as far as stating they wanted to go back to Egypt, as they at least had food and shelter under the Egyptian regime.

This type of test could occur to some of you right before your big breakthrough with the Lord. What you will have to do is override your flesh and your own impatience, and simply rely on God’s peace through the Holy Spirit and God’s perfect timing as to when He will want to open up that door for you. If you ever find yourself facing this kind of trying test, make sure that you do not let your impatience get the better of you and cause you to walk away from that door that you are sitting in front of – as that door could be opening up at anytime. Stay put right where God currently has you at, and force yourself to wait until that door either opens up for you to walk through, or God tells you to do something different.

3) Faith and belief test

In my opinion, this next type of test may be the most trying and possibly the most severe. This is where God will be showing you what is on the other side of your true calling in Him. When God does this, He may show you what some of the obstacles, roadblocks, and opposition may end up being. He may show you exactly what you will have to face. This is where you will be shown all of the giants and strongholds that you may have to face and engage with once you cross over into the actual calling.

A perfect example of this type of test has to be with what God did with the children of Israel just after He had got done rescuing them from the Egyptians in the story of Moses. Shortly after delivering them from the Egyptians, He brought them right up to their Promised Land. But instead of sending all of them immediately in, He sends in only 12 spies so they could first spy out the land so they could see exactly what they were going to have to face once they actually entered into this land.

He will show you exactly what will be awaiting you on the other side once you cross over into your true calling for Him. He will show you the opposition, the giants, the strongholds, and the points of resistance you will have to directly face. He will then sit back and watch your reaction to all of it. Will you fully believe that He can conquer and overcome all of these obstacles and roadblocks for you, or will you get scared and lose faith and belief in Him that He can overcome all of the roadblocks and obstacles that you are seeing?

All of the Israelites 20 years and older in the above story lost their one and only chance to enter into the Promised land – simply because they could not muster up enough belief in the Lord to conquer and overcome all the giants. If you are ever faced with this kind of a test with the Lord, you will have to make a very big decision, like deciding that right now you are going to do it, go up at once to possess your promised land. No more delay or waiting. You will either have to fully believe that God is calling you to go through this door, and that He will then anoint you with His power to be victorious in this calling – or you will let fear and intimidation get the better of you, and then circle the mountain once again until you are ready to face your giants.

Some of you could also be tested on your ability to forgive what others may have done to hurt you in your past, like I was tested. Besides, if you cannot get your own personal sins forgiven with the Lord, then you may have a very hard time in walking out your own true call with Him since it will obviously damage your personal relationship with Him. I hope this article will serve as good heads-up for any of you who will either face this kind of testing in your near future, or if by chance you are already in the middle of this type of testing right now due to the close proximity of entering into your true calling in the Lord.

Again, when these types of tests do come your way, make sure that you see them for what they are and do your best to pass them with flying colors. If you do, then God will continue to bring you up higher in your divine destiny with Him. Flunk these tests or and God may have to hold you back for awhile until you can see what He is trying to teach you and show you.

OVERCOMING YOUR GIANTS

A recent devotional from our CG talked about facing your giants. Despite having experienced God's deliverance from Egypt and crossing the Red Sea, the Israelites still turned their backs on God. They saw themselves as grasshoppers and the giants as intimidating. But what they didn't know was the giants were afraid of them because they had heard what the Lord had done for them. Only Caleb and Joshua saw the giants as 'bread for us to eat'. As a result they entered the promised land.

When we are faced with giants in our lives, do we retreat into defeat? Pastor Prince challenged us to see our giants as bread that will make us stronger. Instead of running away in fear, we must face our giants head-on. Indeed only the Word of God can drive out all fear and timidity and give me the same spirit of faith as Joshua. It changed the way I see myself, not as a tiny grasshopper (which I saw myself before) but a giant-killer. It was only recently I realised that I am much stronger than my giant and there is no reason to be scared or retreat. After God caused me to overcome this last giant, I realised that it has become bread for me to eat and made me even stronger!

Last May, God said I had dwelt on the mountain for too long and I had to move on. Yet it was only last June that I started seeing evidences of the transition. It was then that the Lord impressed upon me crossing the Red Sea and Jordan, facing my giants. It was time to possess my promised land. So since last July I have began my conquest of the promised land like Joshua. But it was only recently that I was impressed upon claiming Hebron, like Caleb.

The reason why the account of Caleb taking Hebron is given later is because it relates to Caleb's claim on the hill country around Hebron, rather than to the conquest of the land. We know in our own personal spiritual battles, that sometimes ground that we conquered early in our Christian lives is lost because we failed to occupy it fully, and must be re-won. The battle is not over until we have fully occupied the ground. The promise has already been given years ago so the conquest was much earlier but the manifestation has yet to come to pass. So now is the time for us to occupy this ground, to possess this inheritance fully. Spiritual victory came years ago but now is the time for physical victory to manifest.

Why Hebron? Caleb wanted Hebron because there were the Anakite giants that had so terrified his fellow scouts 40 years ago. "We looked like grasshoppers in their eyes," they whimpered. "Bring them on," says Caleb. "They're no match for the LORD!" Forty-five years before he had counseled, "Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us" (Numbers 14:9). Now he had a chance to prove it as leader of "the men of Judah" (Judges 1:10). The giants represent the enemies of Conquest, and Caleb is ready for them.

It just occurred to me that Giloh, one of the cities of Judah, was possibly located in the Central Hebron hills, the inheritance of Caleb who belonged to the tribe of Judah. The Hebrew's concordance for our new car plate number, was Giloh. And it said 'he who rejoices, he who overcomes'. At that time I still wasn't quite sure why God would want to draw my attention to this city. Except maybe to tell me to praise Him because this city was in Judah. Now on hindsight, I recognised that He has indeed caused me to overcome the last giant, the Anakites who lodged in Hebron. That was symbolic because it was the very giant that caused me to run away from crossing my Jordan in July 2012. Oh how it all makes sense to me now!

Certainly Caleb cherished a forty-five-year-old ambition to defeat the Anakite giants. He had something to prove. He had a score to settle with them. Was this ambition of God? I believe so. Caleb, too, had developed a bold faith, but when he is bragging, he is bragging on God, and exalting God, not himself. He is so identified with God's cause that his ego is subsumed in God's. Of course, we need to examine our hearts to detect any self-exaltation we see there. But our boldness can and should be in the LORD. Jeremiah 9:24 was impressed upon me before in 2012. Let him who boasts boast in the Lord, that he understands and knows Me. Recently I just realised that I have been talking about boasting in the Lord's blessing than before.

FORGIVE AND MOVE ON!

I was just watching John Gray's sermon preached on 16 Sep titled Labour Day Part II. He encouraged all that your bus is coming and it is right on schedule. So stay in position, don't move from your place of rest. And don't let anything come between you and your blessing. If you have any bitterness or unforgiveness toward anyone, settle it with that person or let it go. Send a text to the person saying I forgive you, please forgive me too. And pray for God to bless that person because you are going to move on to your next destination. It's your turn to receive your long-awaited blessing.

People at the bus stop whose bus are not coming yet may not be happy for you but who cares? Your bus is finally coming and its your turn to move on. The devil has no power to hold your blessing hostage. Everything that has your name on it will have to come to you now. Hence you got to clear your baggage because you cannot bring these to where you are going. You got to lighten your load. One of the ways is by forgiving others and letting go of the bitterness or grudge.

Isn't this word spot on? It wasn't a coincidence that this sermon was preached the next day after I texted sorry to the person whom I bore a grudge. Even though I only watched it now, a week later, it was on the next day that John Gray preached this sermon. Surely God must be confirming that this is His will for me. To forgive and let go of the bitterness and move on. And it was only yesterday that I came to realise the immensity of this single act of forgiveness. It has truly set me free from any incumbrance in my life. Not only that, it has caused me to soar like wings on eagles.

I finally saw that it was possible to soar like wings on eagles during this final stage of delivery. Because it wasn't my strength but His strength imparted to me. My strength is totally spent from the years of waiting and managing those painful contractions. So at the crucial moment, God came to impart His strength to me as I looked to Him for help. I knew I couldn't do this myself so I asked God to help me push this 'baby' out. It's indeed not by power or might but the Spirit of God that this 'baby' is delivered.

I realised yesterday that this was really a magnificent victory, the fact that I could look at my giant in the eye and say: I am no longer afraid of you! I should be celebrating this great victory. In fact, the destruction of this age-old stronghold may be even more spectacular than the actual manifestation. This victory also meant that I have grown much stronger and bigger than the giants in my life. I no longer live a life of defeat because my Jesus has caused me to overcome, to walk in victory over these giants. Not only that, God has given me a double portion for the shame I suffered. Double the honour. It is a great restoration indeed!

GOSPEL OF GRACE

In 2011, I have attempted to share my understanding of the difference between the pure, unadulterated gospel of grace and a mixed teaching of law and grace. Recently I felt impressed to share the differences, this time in a single post.

Gospel of Grace

Mixed Teachings of Law & Grace

·    Focus on the finished work of Christ. A divine exchange has taken place at the Cross. What Christ has suffered (heartache, pain, sicknesses, poverty, condemnation etc) we need not suffer again.  ·    Because Jesus cried ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?’ we can now say ’My Father, my Father, why have You so blessed me?’ We are righteous because of what Christ has done for us. ·    We are now under a new covenant of grace; the old covenant of law has been replaced.  We now enjoy unmerited favour from God.  ·    We have confidence that His blessings are based on Christ’s finished work, not our own performance. We are blessed to be a blessing to the world.  ·    There is one perfect sacrifice at the Cross for all our sins: past, present and future. With Christ’s perfect sacrifice on the Cross, God has promised that He will remember our sins and lawless deeds no more. ·    We need not fear His fiery judgment because it was all poured out on Jesus. God does not want us to be sin conscious but righteousness conscious. When we know the heavy price Christ paid for our right standing, we will not see this grace as a licence to sin. ·     Righteousness is a gift just like salvation. We only need to believe that Christ came to give us righteousness; it is not something we can earn. We cannot be more righteous by our works. ·     Right believing always leads to right living. We are already holy and accepted in God’s eyes because of Christ. We are God’s beloved children and we have an inheritance in Christ. He wants us to be firmly established in righteousness.

·    What Christ has done has bought us eternal salvation but sometimes we still need to go the way of the Cross. We need to take up our cross and partake in the fellowship of the sufferings of Christ.  ·    I never heard about the new covenant of grace hence I was in fear of God’s judgment in the Old Testament. I have asked God if I was pleasing to Him. I didn't know how He saw me.  ·    Sometimes I felt that the blessings of God are dependent on my actions like those Israelites under the old covenant.  ·    The focus was on what we should do to be a channel of blessing, rather than on the finished work of Christ. It was very much based on our works. ·    When we sin, we need to confess our sins to God (1 John 1:9). This implied that the blood of Jesus could only cover our sins till the next one.  ·    Our relationship with God is not broken but our fellowship can by broken by our sin. Hence we need to confess our sins and repent, so that our fellowship with God will be re-established and He will hear our prayers. Sometimes God seems far and distant when in fact, He is always near.  ·     We got to be learn to be more holy and righteous by the pursuit of spiritual disciplines like quiet time with God, praying, fasting etc. ·     The impression given is that there is still some part for us to perform after being saved. Some books even teach that salvation could be lost. That will not give believers security if their faith is based on themselves. Besides, that would not give them confidence to come to the throne of grace in times of need.

KEEPING MARRIAGES FRESH

Last night I watched a TV talk show about the differences between men and women. They were talking about the 7th year itch and how to keep marriages fresh. Some of ladies were sharing about how they view their hubbies as their idols, always putting the priority of their spouse's interests above theirs. How to appreciate their husbands and not take the marriage for granted.

After the 7th year, the next crucial point was the 10th year mark of a marriage. At this time, the kids would have grown bigger and the couple might feel more distant as they focused their lives on their children neglecting the well being of their marriage. That was when red flags might arise in the marriage. It was just interesting because Heng and I were never keenly aware of those crucial stages of our marriage. Of course the Lord did preempt me about not neglecting my hubby before we had Joshua but it wasn't something that we were too concerned about.

I guess it was because both of us were usually looking to the interests of others, like our sheep in those years that we didn't pay so much attention to our own marriage. I really thank God that He preserved and sustained our marriage even through those tough times. Our focus on Jesus also helped to draw us closer to each other. I would think open communication is very important because without that, it will be difficult to sustain a marriage. The guests on the talk show shared about making time for each other and going on dates without the kids.

The question of whether divorce was an option to them came up. Some of them felt that if the other party really didn't want to live with them any longer, then it really wasn't a choice. Yet there were others who wouldn't consider divorce to be an option, reminding themselves of the marriage vows they once took. God said marriage is a covenant (till death do us part), not a contract, so divorce is clearly not an option for us.

God hates divorce because of the consequences on the couple and their children. I think nowadays many people put their interests and happiness first unlike in our parents' generation, they tended to stick to their marriage covenant. I had a friend who once told me she wanted a divorce because she wasn't happy in her marriage and her hubby wasn't meeting her needs. I asked her what about her children and she said they wouldn't be happy if they saw her unhappy. In a way it was true but yet it all sounded so sad.

In the course of our marriage journey, which is only 14 years, we have seen more of our friends and relatives divorcing than we expected. Actually to me, a divorce is already one too many. The very first case we came across was when we were married for just 4 years, which came as a big shock to us as the couple were married around the same time so we were quite close, preparing our wedding together. Over the years, I received news of more divorces which really shocked and saddened me. Some of them had kids, while others didn't.

Even for those who are still married, I know of a few ladies who are trapped in an unhappy marriage. They either didn't have the means to divorce or they stayed together for the sake of their children. Who knows what will happen when the children become adults, whether the couple will still stay together? That brought the discussion to another point as the talk show observed that yet another crucial point was after retirement. When the kids are grown up, when the couple have much more time together with each other, then the friction arises. They might decide on a divorce because they don't want to face their spouse for the remaining years of their life. They want to pursue their own happiness for once. This too will have a negative impact on the grown-up children.

At one point a question was posed to two ladies who had been married much longer. If their husbands weren't as successful as they are now, would the wives have stood by them? Actually I looked at both ladies and thought to myself: part of the reason behind their husband's success and achievements today was the support of these wonderful wives. I believe they didn't just marry that guy while he was rich and successful. They grew rich and successful together. 

Just like when I met Heng, he wasn't even a university graduate. He didn't have a promising career. Yet I saw that his character is good and that he has a heart to progress and upgrade. He wasn't lazy or resigned to fate. He was taking night classes for his accountancy degree then. I supported him by encouraging him to press on when he failed his subjects. Eventually he graduated but he was just starting out in his career. As for me, I was always earning more than him because I had a head start earlier than him. Yet he didn't mind this fact that I was doing better than him in our careers. He was so secure. That was what I admired about him.

In fact right up to the point when I quit my job to stay home, I was still earning more than him. So it was really a step of faith to rely on his income. But I remembered a lady in my old church telling me that when she stayed home full time to take care of the kids, God really blessed her husband's career. It was then that his career started to take off and he became one of the top management in the company. She said it was probably because her hubby had a peace of mind to focus on his career when he knew that he had someone to take care of the household. Yes, she was a virtuous wife and good mother, a godly woman who stood by her hubby.

Her testimony impacted me when I was just a young mother contemplating whether to stay home full-time. Eventually when the time came for me to quit my job, I was encouraged by her story. Today God has blessed Heng so much in his career that he has also become one of the top management. Heng said that initially he wasn't supportive of me quitting my job because of the finances but now he saw how God provided for our family over the years. He never regretted supporting my decision to stay home ever since. He also said the reason he could soar in his career was because he was assured that his wife was taking good care of the household and kid.

To me, I feel that I didn't marry a champion right from the start. I married a guy who later became a champion. We grow together in the Lord. Some woman may regret the choice of their spouse but really, if you don't stick with him and support him, he might never become the champion God intended him to be. If you as the wife don't believe in your hubby, then who will? Blessed is the woman who can see the God-given potential in her hubby, believe in him and help him become who God made him to be! It is for your own benefit that you help your hubby succeed in life because when he does well, you share in the fruits of that labor too.

When God created this world, everything was good. The only thing He said wasn't good was for man to be alone. Hence he created woman, who was to be a helper to man. She was in no way inferior to man but her role was to support her man. Together they will conquer and subdue the world. The most powerful prayer I believe was the power of agreement between a husband and wife. One can put a thousand to flight but two can put ten thousand to flight (Deuteronomy 32:30).

RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS

Recently I was reading the book of Acts and these verses jumped at me. Acts 3:20-21 '...that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.' Jesus will stay in heaven until the restoration of all things on earth. 

The next day I saw in Journals of the Heart 'Restoration of all things'. God values the complete and unadulterated joy you have over the treasures He has unveiled in your heart. The joy of the Lord is your strength and will enable you to walk in the restorative power of love while He walks out the process of deliverance in your life— and in those you love. He is sending restoring graces and great deliverance. He is calling the wind from the north, south, east and west to blow with settling breezes and bring your home to a place of bliss and call it a home with a Jesus heart.

Prosperity in provision, thought and deed will be the language of each and every household belonging to your lineage. Health and wealth will come hand in hand for God blesses you in order to bless. All He gives you is to be a blessing to others. He will allow you to set foot in the land flowing with milk and honey, and My Name shall be glorified. Yes, a New Nazareth is now rebuilt! The Eden of your life is restored and new generations arise to proclaim the Kingdom.

Lord, You are a restorer of all things in the lives of those You have called and love. I open my heart and life up to the fullness of Your restoring and delivering graces. Let the four winds come and blow across every aspect of my life and encompass all the generations of my family. Restoration and deliverance have become the fruitful bread of all in my family line. Today my family and I stand on the Rock. All shifting sands are gone. We are passing over the Red Seas of our life into the land flowing with milk and honey with thankful hearts. Eden is restored and Thanksgiving Day is here.

This theme about the year of His restoration is indeed so powerful and prophetic. Till date, we have witnessed so many powerful restorations in our lives. I was reminded of another devotional in end August which said God is restoring all things (Joel 2:24-26). The hard ground of my heart left behind by words and actions perpetuated by men who damaged trust has been healed in many ways. All the little bits left unhealed are now in the process of a great restoration. The enemy wants me to believe there are things unable to be restored in my life but it is a big lie. God restores all things in my life today and everyday after. I have forgiven and I forgive in order to walk in perfect peace.

Heng said that he also experienced a big restoration in his workplace because the recent internal audit flagged out lots of inconsistency in another company but their company was cleared. He was very happy because God has justified them. All along many people were under the impression that the other company was better than them in terms of business controls and operations. But it was all a facade because these people just knew how to package themselves much better. But the results didn't show it. Well, now the Board of Directors could see for themselves whether this was true. To Heng, it was a big victory.

FACE THE GIANTS

This sharing is taken from a devotional in The Daily Prophecy titled 'Face the Giants'. I wrote this on my journal on 19 Nov 2012 but because of my recent experiences about facing the giants in my life, I was reminded of it. The devotional was talking about not running away from situations that would try to intimidate you, for the things you run from will only continue to plague you again and again. So rise up and face the giants in your life for you are well able to overcome them.

Numbers 13:30 says 'Let us go up at once and possess it, for we are well able to overcome it.' The Israelites had the opportunity to go up and possess the land but the ten spies saw the giants in the land and were terrified of them. However these enemies were certainly no bigger than the enemies they faced in Egypt. So it seemed like they developed some fear pattern which continued to plague them and it kept resurfacing each time they faced a new challenge. But the things which you don't address today will follow you into tomorrow.

If you have been afraid to face the giants in your life, they will resurface in your future until you deal with them. Don't let the giants of your past follow you anymore. Recognise that you are well able to overcome every giant today! Ask the Lord to help you face them head-on so that you can embrace your future with freedom.

Recently the Lord caused me to overcome yet another age old stronghold in my life, another giant. Actually I wasn't expecting it as I thought I had settled this issue last year. But since this Sep, He has been showing me messages about forgiving the one who trespassed against me. I sensed that God not only wanted me to forgive the person, He wanted me to say sorry too. Already I found it so difficult to forgive, let alone to apologise! God is really asking for the impossible! 

But the Lord was relentless. He kept bombarding me with messages about forgiveness everywhere. Daily devotionals that I read, sermons that I heard and even books that I read! It came to a point where I was very sure what the Lord wanted me to do. The last straw was when Pastor Joel talked about the Lord showing him how strife in his heart, anger towards his wife opened a door to trouble in their family. With that I had no reason to resist the Lord or to run away from what He wanted me to do. And so I did the impossible. I texted the person to say sorry even though I was the person who was being trespassed against all these years!

Yet through it all, God showed me that I am truly above this person and above the situation. I have truly overcome this giant of bitterness and unforgiveness. It wasn't anything humanly possible for no one can forgive out of their own strength. It had to be the forgiveness of God. And God knows how badly I need to forgive, much more than they needed to be forgiven. It is really to my benefit that I forgive, for only then could I be truly freed from this bondage and receive the full restoration from God. 

And yes. They don't deserve the forgiveness, so don't I. I don't deserve God's forgiveness for what I have done to His Son. It was my sins that put Him on the cross. Their trespass against me was nothing compared to my trespass against God. When I truly understood the depths of His forgiveness towards me, only then I can forgive others, and set myself free. He loves me too much to leave me in this state of bitterness. I may be able to live with this state for it has been so long but it is still not His best. God may have healed my wounds and restored my soul as this issue no longer bothered me as much as before but it still wasn't full restoration from Him. Every last bit of the root of bitterness had to be totally eradicated from my heart. 

I really thank God for this giant I see today, I will see no more. God also proved to me that I am really stronger than I think. Not to boast but it is all by His grace. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. This victory is another big faith booster. Indeed nothing is impossible or too hard for God. He has caused me to come out of the other side totally free from any incumbrance or breaches that could threaten the success of His future work in me. He really could not take any chances. He helped me deal with this giant of the past so that it will not follow me anymore. Praise the Lord!

ABUNDANCE MENTALITY

Some time ago I read this book 'Born to be rich'. I just wanted to share the things that bear witness to me. Firstly the author mentioned that one thing he learnt in his walk on earth was not to be a goody two shoe for everybody. Being meek, soft, doing 'good' to everyone has damaged his walk with Christ. God is shaping us to be in His image, to be sons of God in this world. This does not mean you have to be 'good' to everybody, but you have to be led by the Spirit to do whatever He asks you to. He has made you to be able to speak with authority, to be a person of the most impressive, commanding and powerful appearance. Proverbs 23:7 'As a man thinks in this heart, so is he' appeared many times throughout his book.

He also shared about how you don't acquire riches exclusively for the good of others. You don't want to lose yourself to save mankind, so you can get some joy out of generosity and sacrifice. You are not the savior, only Jesus is. In the author's life, he was always ready for others, to serve others. He wanted to please others because he was a man pleaser but this does not make him a God pleaser. He had to dispose of his religious mindset of God wanting him to sacrifice himself for others. God requires nothing of that from him.

He said that first of all, God wants you to make the most of yourself, for yourself and then eventually for others. It's only when you become rich and fulfilled first that you can help others more effectively. Your creative thoughts will create new things for you but it will not take away things from others. Our Father is a Creator and we are made in His image, so man are inclined to create. Our spirit is already formed while we are in our mother's womb and it never grows. It is the substance of God and is already mature. The only problem is the communication between the mind and the spirit needs to be restored and developed. This restoration took place through Christ at the cross and He gave us His mind and once we have renewed our mind with His, we can again be one in spirit.

No wonder God spoke to me about renewing of my mind in Oct 2008 and later in 2011, addressed this issue about having the mind of Christ. We need to change our mind so that we won't be governed by our senses. The mind is the soul, where our emotions, desires and will reside. Psalms 23:3 says The Lord restores our soul. This restoration is to align our thoughts with His thoughts, to align our mind with our spirit which is already renewed.

For too long we have been in the frame of mind of being beggars on earth. But we are not. We are co-heirs with Jesus and we are the sons of God. We are of royal blood, King-priests. We are princes and princesses, not beggars. We are beautiful butterflies, not worms. Yes, we may be a caterpillar for a short while but that's not who we eventually are. Occasionally we may find ourselves in the rubbish dump but that doesn't make us trash. We are still of great value to the Lord.

The other thing is regardless of what someone says or does, their bodies never lie. Just like their faces, their countenance cannot lie. Our faces, our bodies follow whatever mind we allow to work through us. The body will show the truth of what you are thinking. Whether you are joyful or depressed will all show on your face, your countenance. Hence don't worry about what others think of you, because you already know what the Father thinks of you and that is all that matters. The body follows the force of the thoughts we are thinking and our beliefs.

He also said that free spenders are often getting richer than people who tend to withhold or save. Of course I am not advocating spending out of your means or not being good stewards of God's money. What I am saying is don't be stingy on yourself and withhold the things God wants you to have. These free spenders learn that they are not supposed to work for money but to let the money work for you. Just like someone also said, don't make yourself a slave of your money, let your money work for you. It's only right for us to desire to be wealthy. How can we live our life to the fullest while in poverty? How happy does a man feel when he can bestow gifts on the people he loves. Love finds its most natural and spontaneous expression in giving. The man who has nothing to give cannot fulfill his place as a husband or father or a man.

Then he talked about getting rid of the thought of competition. Don't compare yourself to others for we are all running our own race. You are here on earth to create, not compete. You don't have to take anything from anyone. You don't even have to drive sharp bargains. You don't have to cheat or take advantage of others. Why would you become richer by making others poorer? This is the mindset of the world but the Kingdom of God is different. Our God is so rich and heaven is overflowing with abundance that God doesn't have to bless others at our expense. All we need to do is to ask God for the supply. 

ROSH HASHANAH 2015

Yesterday at sundown, the Jews started celebrating Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of their new year for 5776. It started on 13 September sundown and will end on 15 September, sundown. This year is especially significant because it is also their Jubilee year. The central observance of Rosh Hashanah is the sounding of the shofar, the ram’s horn, which also represents the trumpet blast of a people’s coronation of their king. The cry of the shofar is also a call to repentance, for Rosh Hashanah is also the anniversary of man's first sin and his repentance, and serves as the first of the “Ten Days of Repentance” which culminate in Yom Kippor, the Day of Atonement.

Additional Rosh Hashanah observances include eating a piece of apple dipped in honey to symbolize their desire for a sweet year, as well as many other special foods. All have special significance and symbolize sweetness, blessings, and abundance. They bless one another with the words Leshanah tovah tikateiv veteichateim, "May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year." And as with every major Jewish holiday, women and girls light candles on each evening of Rosh Hashanah and recite the appropriate blessings. For the first time, our family celebrated Rosh Hashanah last night with the eating of apples dipped in honey and lighting of candles. Heng also prayed a special blessing for our family for the new year.

In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means, literally, "Head of the Year," and as its name indicates, it is the beginning of the Jewish year. With the beginning of a new year, old things are gone and the new has come. The anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, it is the birthday of mankind, highlighting the special relationship between God and humanity. Jewish families are also preparing to enter the High Holy Days. They celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, on September 14,Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, on September 23 and the Feast of Tabernacles, known as Sukkot, September 27- October 4. These Holy Days are festivals ordained by God (Leviticus 23:23-44) and are supposed to be a joyous time.

TESTIMONY OF MY PREVIOUS PREGNANCY

In the message 'Full circle, Higher Level', Apostle Dutch Sheets talked about what the word testimony means in Hebrew. It comes from a root word 'do it'. It is interesting because we understand that when we testify to something, it has to do with us speaking, not doing. Yet to the Jews, when they tell the marvellous works of the Lord to their children, it is like putting God to remembrance of His promise. And when God remembers, He will do something about it. Hence this word testimony has to do with God doing it again. The Jews believe that when you share your testimony of His marvellous works for you in the past, that very same anointing or power will be available to effect that miracle again.

Hence I felt impressed to share about my previous pregnancy testimony. I have shared this in my first book 'Beauty out of Ashes' but I don't think I have mentioned it in my blog before. In 2002 we had been trying for a baby after this desire was finally born in my heart. Previously I was quite averse to the idea of motherhood. I just felt I wasn't prepared to be a mother even after marriage. God is good. He is so patient with me. He waited till I had that desire. But after this desire came, what I found out was that it wasn't nearly that easy to conceive the moment I wanted to be a mother. 

In fact, I didn't expect that path of waiting for a promise child to be so tough. There were so many setbacks along the way. Well, I did conceive in early 2004 but that pregnancy was shrouded with so much fear and confusion. Eventually it ended up in a miscarriage. Already it wasn't easy for me to finally conceive a baby, yet it had to end this way. Can you imagine how heartbroken I was back then? It took me a long time to recover from that heartache. But more importantly my faith in God was very much shaken. I knew that God had to settle all these confusing questions in my heart and to restore my soul before I was ready to conceive again. Well, if I could conceive again.

God took us on a journey of building our faith. He turned this bad thing around for our good. Instead of running away from God, we became more determined to find out His purpose and will for us from the bible. We became more hungry for bible truths and a knowledge of how God is really like. Did God give and then take away like how Job said?  God put people in our midst to point us to the faith teachings of Rev. Kenneth E. Hagin, the great man of faith. And as time passed, we not only grew in wisdom and revelation of His word, God also restored my soul and healed my wounds. 

As the word started to take root in my life, I became more convinced that it was God's will for us to be fruitful and multiply. It was His plan to give us children, to make me conceive and give birth. It was never His will to take away the baby. When God gave, He would never take away for Jesus had already paid the price for us to have this baby. It was the devil who took away this baby and then laid all the blame on God. After restoring my soul, God then took me on a journey of preparing me for motherhood. I read up on verses regarding bringing up children in the way of the Lord. I was also prompted to step down from CG leadership at that time to make way for a season of motherhood.

Before I conceived, we were already confessing and calling forth this baby as though he existed. We crossed over from one day in the future we shall have this baby to now we claim this baby in Jesus' name. Even though we didn't immediately see the manifestation of this baby, God told us to persevere for surely this baby would come. He also told us to rejoice and celebrate, eat choice food and drink sweet drinks, giving thanks for this baby in advance. It was just a matter of time before this pregnancy manifested. 

Ever since we were told to prepare for the arrival of this baby, things seemed to intensify in the spiritual realm. God also told me to start praying for this baby even before I confirmed pregnant. As the date of this manifestation neared, God came to encourage me to look out for the signs of the fig tree. For when I see these events happening, I will know that summer is near, right at the door. God also showed me Revelations 3:8, that He has placed before me an open door that no one can shut. He was reminding me that my time had come. He also impressed upon me to set up memorial stones to remember His faithfulness so as to testify to our future generations.

Indeed God is faithful and not long after, I conceived Joshua in Nov 2005. It was a day of great joy when I discovered my pregnancy, when I finally saw the positive pregnancy kit after countless negative ones. God really restored the years the locusts had eaten and we knew the blessings would not stop there. It would continue to overflow. The Lord lifted us up and gave me double honor for my shame. He really multiplied our joy a hundredfold! We will never forget this marvellous work He has done for us for as long as we live. We have also shared this testimony with Joshua so he knows how he was the answer to a long awaited prayer. To God be the glory! May God perform the miracle again like what He did ten years ago! 

FULL CIRCLE AT A HIGHER LEVEL

A dear sister in Christ forwarded me this link https://youtube/tXENs4Zg2kk. It was a sermon called 'Full Circle at a Higher Level' by Apostle Dutch Sheets. This message is so powerful that I just had to share on my blog. But it is so full of nuggets of truth that I may need a few more blog posts to 'linger' on this message.

What struck me at first was how he mentioned about the time spiral, coming full circle but on a higher level. Dutch Sheets talked about how he was caught up in a vision. When he looked down on earth, he saw a circle. But then the Lord brought him into the middle of that circle. He then realised it wasn't a 2D circle but a cylinder. The Lord said this to him: Full circle, higher level. He realised that when the Lord said coming full circle, it wasn't coming back to the exact place but on a higher level. This reminded me of what Pastor Prince said about the shepherd leading the sheep on paths of righteousness which actually is a circular path higher and higher up the mountain.

But this vision of a cylinder was such a revelation to me! Dutch Sheets also said a Jewish rabbi told him the Jews measured time cyclically instead of a linear progression. We measure time as a line but they measure them in a circle. Like how we would count Pentecost as 50 days but to the Jews, they count it as 7 times 7 weeks. They believe God repeats Himself in time and does things again. What Dutch Sheets saw in his vision, the Jews called it a time spiral. They believe that time is pregnant.

They believe God puts things in time and it is significant to know what every month means in Hebrew because if you know what each month means, every year when it comes to that point in time, it will be easier for you to tap into that blessing around that time. It's there in time and you come around to it every year. You will be more prepared to work with God because He does similar things during the same month in different years. 

What Dutch Sheet said gave me revelation about the significance of the months of the year. Because over the past few years, I noticed God telling me similar messages in certain months and similar things occurring during those months. I always had a deja vu feeling when I witnessed those events, being reminded of what happened before and what God told me before. I also had a feeling that I came full circle. I thought I came back to the exact starting point but actually no, I was on a higher plane. God was bringing me full circle, higher level.

Like Psalms 46:10 was given to me on 18 Jan 2008. Even though I must have encountered this verse many times over the past seven years, thinking I have finally come full circle or that His work in me was completed, I don't think it was on this exact date. Well, on 18 Jan 2015, when we sang this verse during church worship, there was an unction within me that said this is it. His work in me was finally completed. And when I looked back at the journals, I was surprised to find that it was on the exact date, seven years ago!

A NEW SEASON OF HARVEST

This is truly harvest time, a season of fulfilment and joy as God has already told me about in last July. At that time everything was pretty much the same. Worse, I was going through a very tough time, having to face the tests of bitterness and unforgiveness in different areas of my life. But when God came to notify me about the season change in last Feb, He had already been working behind the scenes to effect the shift.

In last Nov, God again bombarded me with messages about how after I had been through the fire and water, a place of abundance was awaiting me (Psalms 66:12). A season of fulfilment, restoration and harvest was awaiting me. God told me things were going to get better and they really did. Since then the spiritual atmosphere changed for the better and I experienced more joy and peace in my life than ever before. This atmosphere carried over to this year.

Though there was occasional increased resistance and distractions in my life this year, it really wasn't as bad compared to the intense challenges I faced last year. Besides I was so caught up with all the good things manifesting in my life as well as all the powerful restorations He has brought to pass in my life that I was quickly lifted up from my depressive moods. I didn't stay too long in the pits. Thank God He pulled me out quickly.

Like recently I am really basking in the goodness of the Lord, meditating upon all the marvellous things He has done in my life. Until now I am still so amazed at the mega blessing of our dream car. And thinking about what He said that this was just the beginning and more blessings are to come. He wants me to get ready to embrace the fullness of all the blessings He has prepared for us.

Journals of the Heart also talked about a time of increase. A time of increase is at the door of your life. You are even this moment increasing in your understanding of My love and devotion as well as your love for Me. A time of increase is surely at hand for you if you will only respond with yes and amen. Take Me at My Word and abide for new life is flowing to you from the vine of My heart. I revel in the overflowing of love You are giving to me today and anticipate with great excitement all to come in the days ahead.

Not only that I have also been getting more messages about change, a shift, new things, new levels of my destiny. One of the messages Journals of the Heart talked about sensing change in the air. Freshness has come to the dry and stale places of my heart. And I am moving into new realms of faith. Pastor Joel's devotionals recently also talked about today being a new day and there are new heights to climb. God wants to do a new thing in your life, bring you to a new level of your destiny. Isaiah 42:9 says that the former things have come to pass and new things God now declares.

August was such a happening month as I had a few encounters with the Lord. Ever since my first encounter with God in early Aug, indeed everything changed, just that I couldn't discern it yet. Slowly as the days passed, the Lord revealed more and more of the new things He has been doing in my life. When I see His plan unveiled, I am so encouraged and my faith arises. God also convinced me that I am no longer stuck in the rut, stuck on the same mountain. He has come to move me on to a new season.

And since end Aug, I have been seeing evidences of change, new things and the shift. Now I can clearly see that He has moved us to a new season of harvest where all the good things are manifesting. Oh how my heart swell with joy! Indeed when I am happy and enjoying life, basking in the sunshine of harvest, excited about the new things coming up, there is no room for self pity or depression.

THE RICHES ARE IN THE TITHES (PART II)

There is just so much to share about tithing that here comes the overflow. The first mention of tithing in the bible was in Genesis 14:18-20. This was after Abraham defeated the king of Sodom and brought back all the goods, his nephew Lot and his family from captivity. Then Melchizedek king of Salem (Shalom) brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. He blessed Abraham and Abraham in turn gave him a tithe of all. Bible tells us that Jesus is forever a Priest in His Father's house, in the order of Melchizedek.

Notice that bread and wine symbolises health and healing. So when Melchizedek brought the holy communion to Abraham, he responded by giving him a tithe of all. Therein lies the response we can have to God, when God brings us the bread and wine. Healing is freely given because of what Christ has done for us at the cross, so we do not have to pay for it. Our tithe to God is our response, not an obligation. As mentioned in my previous post, we do not have to tithe, we get to tithe.

In Genesis 14:21-23, the king of Sodom came to Abraham and told him to return the persons and take the goods for himself. Abraham refused. He said 'I will take nothing from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say: I have made Abram rich...' Question: was Abraham rich then? No. Did Abraham know he will become rich? Yes, because God made him a promise that he will inherit the Promised Land of Canaan.

Abraham knew that when God gave the word, it was as good as done. It was a revelation to me recently that all things were given to us. 1 Timothy 6:17 says '...to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment.' And 2 Peter 1:3 says 'His divine power has given unto us all things pertaining to life and godliness...'All things mean all things. God does not mince His words.

Notice that Abraham gave a tithe to the Lord and trusted that God is the One who can make him rich. He didn't accept the goods from king of Sodom because he didn't want that king to boast that it was him who made Abraham rich in future. Abraham wanted God to get all the glory. In my life, there have been occasions that I have thought about borrowing from others when we needed to make a huge purchase.

But the Lord specifically told me that we shall lend and not borrow. He showed me that if we ever took a loan from someone (with the exception of the bank), then we were indebted to that person, at his mercy. And in future when we become very rich, the person would say he made us rich. That is human nature. People always want to claim credit to others' success. Thank God that He always provided for our needs so that we need not borrow from others.

Another point I wanted to highlight was this. Pastor mentioned that when you tithe, the blessings of riches will even flow to your future generations. Hebrews 7:9-10 says 'Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.' We all know that the Jews, though a minority race, bagged more of the Nobel prizes and have amassed riches more than any other race in the world.

They are enjoying a trickle of the blessings that their forefather Abraham received from God when he tithed to God. This showed that when you tithe and give to the Lord, your future generations will also be blessed richly. The Jews only have a trickle of the blessings but we have the fullness of the new covenant blessings! We have a far greater revelation of the benefits of tithing than them!

THE RICHES ARE IN THE TITHES

Today I am going to touch on a sensitive topic. This message is for mature Christians because it will be a revelation for those who understand the meaning of tithing. Please don't feel obliged to tithe if you do not have the revelation. God doesn't need your money. We don't have to tithe, we get to tithe.

Our Heavenly Father is so rich and He made all these things on earth for our enjoyment, because He loves us, His children. No one will usually build houses for other people, only for their own children. Our Father owns a thousand cattle on the hills (Psalms 50:10). The earth belongs to Him and it is His good pleasure is to freely give us His kingdom.

Pastor's sermon in Hillsong London church talked about how the riches is in the tithes, because the Hebrew word for tithes is ma'aser which comes from a root word called aser which means riches. Pastor preached about this yesterday. He said that by grace, God will provide for us all that we need in life because Jesus paid for us. 2 Corinthians 8:9 says 'For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you thorough His poverty might become rich.' He who sows sparingly will reap sparingly and he who sows bountifully will reap bountifully (2 Corinthians 9:6).

When we tithe to God, He will be able to prosper us because when the first fruits are set apart and made holy, then the whole bunch is holy. Romans 11:16 says that ‘If the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy.’ So when we bring the firstfruits of our income, God blesses the entire income. When we tithe 10% of our income, the Lord will cleanse all of our money and multiply it. By doing this, we also break the love of money which is the root of all evil. We are demonstrating that it is God who gave us the power to create wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18).

Tithing activates the blessing of God in our finances. When we tithe, we are giving back to God what already belongs to Him. When God tells us to tithe, He is not asking that we repay Him (for we could never repay this debt of love). He is not taking away our money but on the contrary, He is setting us up for a blessing. He is looking for an inroad to our lives to bless us financially. But first, He needs us to take that step of faith to 'part' with our money.

Pastor also said that if we ask for just enough for our family's needs, that is selfish. Because we would not be able to help others in need if we have just enough. It is only out of the abundance that there is an overflow to bless others. This confirmed what He has been telling me for the past week. Don't feel guilty that God has blessed us with so much wealth when others have so little. What good will it do to the poor and needy if you also are poor? It's only when you are rich then you are in a position to help them.

Hebrews 7:8 says ‘Here mortal men receive tithes, but there He (Christ) receives them, of whom it is witnessed that He lives.’ When we tithe, Jesus receives our tithes through our church and Jesus shows Himself alive in our lives. The tithes witness the blessings of God which is so evident to people around us. The result is like Malachi 3:12 ‘And all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land.’ Indeed, people call us blessed. The clearest typology of Jesus in OT was Joseph. Pastor also mentioned the story of how Jacob wasn't convinced that his beloved son Joseph was alive until he saw those wagons of silver and gold. When he saw that, he exclaimed 'Surely my son Joseph lives!' (Genesis 45:26-28)

Hence we have to learn to be comfortable with receiving from God, to be comfortable with an environment of abundance and wealth. God kept telling me don't be afraid of riches. This is not bad success. Riches will not cause you to turn away from God or cause your family to fall apart. You don't have to pay the price for these riches. Jesus has already paid the price for you. What you need to do is to enlarge your vision in order to receive more of such wealth, if not you would not be able to retain it when it comes. You need to get ready because the wagons of blessings are coming your way!

UNFORGIVENESS

I have recently come across a few messages about forgiving others. Pastor Prince said in his sermon last Sunday that unforgiveness is like preparing poison for others then drinking it yourself. There’s no need to remain discouraged or to let bitterness take root and poison you—a bright and glorious future full of God’s blessings awaits you. When others have done you wrong, don't seek to take revenge or justify yourself. Just remain in peace and trust that the Lord will restore to you a hundred and twenty fold for the troubles the devil brought unto you.

Pastor Joel's devotional also mentioned this. Are the garments of yesterday holding you back and weighing you down? Maybe it’s time to exchange that heaviness for His garment of praise. Maybe it’s time to release those heavy burdens. It’s time to forgive those who have hurt you and begin to praise your way into a new season. As children of the Most High God, we should be extending forgiveness in the same way that Christ extends forgiveness toward us. 

In other words, we will learn to forgive unconditionally when we are conscious of how forgiven we are by God. But many times, people say they won’t forgive until the other person says they are sorry. Or, they won’t forgive because they think somehow they are getting back at that person. But the only person who is hurt by your unforgiveness is you! When you hold unforgiveness, it blocks God’s forgiveness and keeps you locked up in the hurt and pain.

Even Journals of the Heart talked about this. God has given us many things in the past that have gone dormant among the trials, expectations, and struggles of life. Some became dormant because of unwillingness to let go of doubts and unbelief based on the actions of men. Some still have a hold on us and prevent growth because we became critical in response to their actions. Let it go. Let His light of love and graces penetrate the deepest, darkest places. Forgive, and receive His light. Let His love wash over you and heal your wounded heart. Yes, a time of restoration is here.

Lord, let Your Word bury deep within my heart and show me if there be any unclean way in me, any critical spirit or unforgiveness and I will repent. I will lay aside all critical attitudes and embrace humility with my whole heart. I forgive and I am forgiven. This is the purest form of love. I even forgive myself of all the times when I was bitter at having tried and failed again and again. I know the Lord doesn't even hold this against me, so why should I be so hard on myself? All He required of me was to hang on to His word in the midst of adverse or disappointing circumstances. Don't give up on His promise. Don't doubt Him now. Just remain faithful to what He has told me to do which was to keep on keeping on, move forward, press past the labour pains. 

A HUNDREDFOLD

Recently two of Pastor's devotionals talked about a hundredfold. This sparked my interest and so I searched the bible for mentions of hundredfold. I found three mentions.

1) Genesis 26:12 'Then Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him.'
2) Matthew 19:29 'And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold...'
3) Mark 4:20 'But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold, sixtyfold and a hundredfold.'

All of them had to do with sowing and reaping. The first one talked about how God can prosper us in bad times. The second talked about how a reward is coming for all the labour of love, the sacrifices made because of persecutions that have come in us representing Jesus. The third talked about the fullness of time. How our seed grew over time and now it is harvest. All these passages point to harvest time being here.

Not only that, I was reading the context of Genesis 26:12 and I found these verses following it. Isaac began to prosper and continued prospering until he became very prosperous, for he had possessions of flocks and herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him. Isn't this also what is happening to believers who are richly blessed by the Lord? The bible also said that the blessings of the Lord on the believers will provoke Gentiles to jealousy. 

Recently my heart is really swelling with joy like in Isaiah 60:5 'Then you shall see and become radiant, and your heart shall swell with joy; because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you.' My heart is bursting with thanksgiving to the Lord. For I have come to realise that many blessings which came upon me years ago have good repercussions even until today. I am still discovering the benefits of those blessings today. No wonder God says that the blessings of the righteous will trickle down to future generations. What an amazing God we have!