REV MARCUS LAMB'S SERMON

It's affirmative that we have crossed over to a new season. Truly this is great reason to celebrate because it meant that our wilderness season had come to an end. The tough times are over and we are coming into a broad place. A new beginning has already started and I am already seeing signs of it everywhere. 

I am very moved by what Rev Marcus Lamb shared in last Sunday's service. In fact because of this sermon I went back to listen to what he said on 19 Nov 2014, when he last came to our church. He said it was the first time he came to Singapore. We didn't attend his service back then. It was a midweek service. Well I felt that there must be some significance to his second visit here. God is pointing to us about some prophetic timelines. I cannot forget the date because those few days, in fact, that year itself was a tough year for us and our church. About how more members passed on that year than before. 

Like one sister mentioned, some of our pastors might already started facing their giants in 2013. I think so too. Well, as I looked at my own journals I saw that the Lord has been talking about crossing Jordan and facing the giants in Jul 2014. It also hadn't been an easy time for me during Oct/Nov 2013. But I knew I hadn't started facing my giants yet, not until Jul 2014, after I went on my ministry sabbatical. 

So when I heard that Rev Marcus Lamb was coming to preach this year, I was reminded of the last time he came. I asked God what wad the significance of his appearance now and I knew the key would be in the message he preached on Sunday. So I was all ears. At that time I haven't heard Rev Lamb's sermon on 19 Nov 2014 so I didn't catch his prophetic word to Pastor and our church. Just now I did, when I watched the sermon.

  

'If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which flows with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not.' Numbers 14:8-9 KJV

After this verse, Rev Lamb spoke about these verses for our church.

'Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him: With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.' 2 Chronicles 32:7-8 KJV

Here is a transcription of what Rev Lamb said on 19 Nov 2014 -

“I say to you New Creation Church, how much more in this day and hour, should we rest in word of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. It’s time for some of you to quit trying to fighting some of your own battles, quit trying to solve your own problems, quit trying to answer your own questions. But let Jesus rise up big in you and be the captain of your salvation and your mighty conquering king.”

Now what I saw when I read this again, in the light of his recent sermon was this. At that time in Nov 2014, Pastor Prince and our church was probably at the verge of crossing Jordan and we were about to face giants in the land. That prophetic word was meant to encourage Pastor and our church to rest in the Lord. We didn't know what it truly meant back then because Pastor seldom preaches about inheritance, possessing our possessions and facing our giants in previous years. It was on 10 Aug 2014 that I first heard Pastor preach about our inheritance. 

But with the hindsight of time passing, I could see the picture clearer. 2015 was a year of restoration. There was a temporary window of reprieve before the real battle began in 2016. The Lord was already teaching us to rest in the Lord for restoration and even more so when we crossed over to the promised land. Now I take heart that today Rev Lamb's message has progressed to the timeline after Jericho was conquered. To the point where Rahab told the spies to save her family and the red scarlet rope will be the sign. And true enough only her family was spared because of the blood of Jesus.

At the start of 2017, Pastor said we are already in the seventh day of circling Jericho. But I couldn't be sure which round are we at. But after Resurrection Sunday and the Passover Feast, it became clear to me that we have completed the seven rounds. The ram's horn was sounded on Resurrection Sunday and the walls of Jericho came crumbling down in the background. Victory has been wrought! Praise God for we had crossed over to a new season of abundance! 

The other interesting thing was Rev Lamb also preached about Deuteronomy 6:6-8. 'And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as front lets between your eyes.' Now these are the verses which the Lord commanded to teach the Israelites that they may observe them in the land they are crossing over to possess. So that they may fear the Lord and keep His commands that it may be well with them and their children.

So I asked myself at which point would such verses be timely or appropriate…is it during the conquest or after that? In the midst of the conquest of the promised land, the Israelites would be too busy fighting the giants to have the time and energy to teach their children right? But it was after they conquered majority of the land and God gave them rest from their enemies that such verses became more relevant. Now the war was over and they had peace. They entered their inheritance so what was next? The next important thing to do was to tell their children about the Lord and the marvellous works He had done. 

HOW GOD WORKS THINGS OUT FOR OUR GOOD

On Resurrection Sunday as I walked into church after leaving Joshua with Rock Kidz, I was greeted with a good report. It was a Rock Kidz teacher talking to me about Joshua. I did not know her but she knew Joshua. I was surprised because all these years I never had any Sunday School teacher approaching me to talk to me about Joshua. She lovingly said that Joshua is their treasure or 宝. She said he is a very obedient and good boy. I wasn't sure if she got the right boy so I asked her if he had been participative in class or responsive, she said yes of course. I told her that he was quite quiet in school. She assured me saying he wasn't quiet at all and told me not to worry. She then repeated that he is such a dear to the teachers. I was so happy to hear this and quickly told his daddy. His daddy was happy too.

After we picked Joshua up from Sunday School, I told Joshua what the teacher said and asked him if it was true that he was a dear to the teachers. Without a doubt, he said yes. He said it was because of his hand injury that the teachers took special care of him and hence all of them knew him. God really turned all things out for his good. I didn't even know about this until now. I remembered there was a time when he was smaller that I secretly wished the Sunday School teacher would give a good report about Joshua. I was hoping to receive comments that he was very obedient or that he had a special talent in drawing. But all these years I never heard anything from the teachers. After a while I forgot about this. But God never forgets. Though this good report about Joshua came as a surprise when I wasn't seeking it anymore, it brought to my mind this secret desire I had years ago. God is so good. All glory to Jesus! 

Romans 8:28 'We know that God works all things out for our good.' 

SEQUENCE OF THE MESSAGES I HEARD

I have been prompted to go on a word feast in end Feb. I was facing challenges and feeling fearful that time so God impressed upon me to go back to hearing the word of grace. Since then I plugged on to the 'Right Believing' MP3 by Pastor Prince and it became a daily routine for me to listen to his sermons before I slept. I wanted the last thoughts before I went to dream land to be about God and His word.

One night I was listening to Pastor Prince's sermon and he talked about the Father's love for us. Then it occurred to me there was a sequence for hearing the sermons. Not that I planned it but God did. I started with listening to messages like winning the battle for your mind. God was addressing the root cause of condemnation which led to fear in my life. He was teaching me truths about the enemy's work and about spiritual warfare in today's context. I was to rest in the finished work of Jesus as God increased my righteousness consciousness in Christ.

After that I went on to listen to messages about God's complete forgiveness. This was important because my heart had to be established in His righteousness so that the devil cannot have a foothold in my life. When I know how much God has forgiven me, I don't have to beat myself up. Then I went on to listen to messages about being free from self-righteousness, how it was painful to be always so self-occupied for in our flesh dwells no good thing.

I was reminded of how to turn my eyes away from the storm in the midst of it and look to Jesus. As tough as it was I learnt to look away from the natural circumstances, even lying symptoms and focused on Christ's finished work. As I behold Jesus, something happens to me, I am transformed from glory to glory. I also begin to see what God sees as reality. The word of God became more real to me than the circumstances.

Finally I came to the part of his teaching about the Father's love. About how being conscious of His perfect love driving out all fears. God was slowly replacing the negative cycles of condemnation, fears, failures, disappointments with His cycle of love. He continued to flood me with messages about being His beloved. Good things happen to those who are conscious of the Father's love. There is protection and intimacy in His love. It is like being in the shadow of His wings.

I then realised that it is the Father's love that causes us to win the fight of life. It takes a David, God's beloved to defeat Goliath. God was teaching me to go on the offensive, after the root cause of condemnation had been destroyed, after being established in a righteousness that comes from Jesus, after l learnt to put my eyes on His finished work instead of my circumstances and lastly being conscious of the Father's love for me. 

GOD DID A MARVELLOUS WORK!

Today is Joshua's last check up with the bone specialist. He had a fall on 15 Feb which caused his wrist to be fractured. Even though he had his cast removed on 14 Mar and all will be well with this last visit, somehow I still felt a bit uneasy about today's check up. I guess it was because of the one bad experience when his bone slipped out of alignment that I was a bit apprehensive. Even when God has redeemed that bad experience with two positive ones, somehow a part of me, the flesh part was prone to worry. There were thoughts thrown by the enemy about the possibility of his bone slipping out of alignment again, just like that time. Especially since the cast had come off and there was no support for his hand.

But when such thoughts came up, I just cast them to the Lord and said Jesus took the punishment for Joshua at the cross so he is completely healed. God will be judicially unjust if He put on Joshua what Jesus had paid. Hence I proclaim that the report will be good in Jesus' name. That gave me some peace but I still had to go through it, as in to get this check up over and done with. I couldn't really sleep late this morning and woke up before the alarm rang. I took this time to do quiet time and to build up my inner man.

I was praying in tongues and reading the devotionals when doctor called us into his office. He asked how was Joshua and Joshua said good. Doctor was surprised for this was the first time he heard Joshua speak. He then put the X Ray up and said it was all very good. When I saw the X Ray, I was surprised to see that his bone had aligned perfectly. I never thought I would see such a sight. It was as if he never had that fracture at all! I was so happy to see that God has done a beautiful work of healing Joshua's hand! Not only I became more relaxed, I was over the moon! The Lord has done a marvellous work for us! He has turned all things out for our good!

While I was feeling restless, God has already gone ahead to prepare this good news for me. He has in store this wonderful surprise for me! Had it not for this last visit, I wouldn't be able to see the completion of His wonderful work in Joshua's hand. I wouldn't be breaking out in praise and worship, amazed at the resounding victory Jesus has wrought for me. I thank God for restoring my faith and confidence in Him, as He showed me that He answers my prayers and watches over us. More good news to come! I could sing of Your love forever! Right now I just want to thank God that it is finally over! The last check up is over and Joshua is discharged from seeing the doctor! Below is the X Ray of his wrist before and after.