Plant Experiment

Recently we conducted a plant experiment to see the power of our words. Proverbs 18:21 says 'Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.' There are two seeds that we planted in the cotton wool in two cups. One plant we bless daily and the other plant we curse daily. We called them the Blessed Plant and the Cursed Plant. We gave the plants same amount of water and sunlight everyday and see them grow.

For the Blessed Plant, we would tell it to grow healthy and strong in Jesus' Name, that it is blessed, it is lovely and beautiful, that we love the plant. For the Cursed Plant, we would curse it in Jesus' name and say it will not grow healthy and strong, it is very ugly and no one loves it. One week later, we observed the results of our daily blessing and cursing. The seed that was blessed grew much faster than the one that was cursed.

We observed the plants for another week and we saw that the Cursed Plant started to grow very fast after the first week, somewhat catching up with the Blessed Plant. We decided to curse it in Jesus' name, that it will shrivel up and die from its roots. At the moment when we cursed it to die, nothing seemed to happen. The leaves were still as green and healthy. Initially I was still concerned that the Cursed Plant will overtake the Blessed Plant in its growth but after one day of cursing it to its death, we were amazed to see that the plant really withered.

This plant experiment taught us a very powerful lesson. Firstly, we were made conscious of the fact that we are king-priests and there is power in our words. We should be aware that everytime we speak God's word, it is not dissipating into thin air but that once we speak His word, everything is set into motion in the spirit realm. Secondly, like how we cursed the plant to shrivel up and die, even though nothing seemed to change on the surface, the truth was that the plant was also cursed in its roots, which we cannot see. The results of the withering would eventually manifest because the moment we cursed it to die, the plant was starting to die.

I was reminded of the incident when Jesus cursed the fig tree and the next day it really shriveled up and died. Jesus then told the disciples in the famous Kenneth E. Hagin's verse in Mark 11:24 'Whosover says to this mountain: Be removed and be cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.' I have come across this verse countless times but this time when I looked at it again, God is saying a new thing to me. He is telling us that if we can believe, all things are possible (Mark 9:23). All things mean all things. Jesus knows that it is our faith that overcomes the world and hence He is always building us up in our faith.

How many times have we declared His promise and when it took a while to manifest, we start to wonder what is happening or is God's Word still powerful? I have...many times, especially when the outward circumstances still did not seem to change a bit after I have spoken His word many times. Yet God still encouraged me that everything has changed and He is still working behind the scenes. Well, He knows I need help so He gave me this vivid illustration of how everything is set into motion once I cursed the plant to die. And when I saw this in the natural, my heart was so encouraged and I was reminded to continue speaking His word and not give up. For it would only be a matter of time that what we say will come to pass. Maybe you would like to try this experiment and experience the power of your words? You will be so encouraged.

Push Buttons

As I ministered to some sisters recently, I saw how they were holding on to their issue so tightly they could hardly breathe. That issue had become the point of obsession in their lives even though it was clearly not a life or death matter. Their problem became so big that it was all they could think of and all they could talk about.

I know how it feels because I have been there before. It is so painful and when you are trapped in that cycle of disappointment, pity and depression, it is no fun at all. You feel so helpless and angry at yourself for not being able to walk out of that mountain. You are sick and tired of being sick and tired. You hope things would change but you don't see any change happening, at least not on the surface. You are frustrated because you don't see any progress...that every time you thought you turned the corner, the next moment you find yourself at the same old place! It's a terrible feeling.

The more we dwell on it, the bigger it becomes until it turns disproportionate. Very soon you will be so disappointed and bitter that you find it harder to latch on to hope, settling for a less than fulfilled life, lest the disappointment overwhelm you one more time. You will find that in spite of God's repeated assurances and His word that your time has come, you have more 'faith' in the distance between you and your desires than you do in God's supernatural ability to fulfill them.

You will start to shun God's people because you fear condemnation and you feel lousy because after so many years, you still have not seen your breakthroughs. You even blame God for allowing such things to happen to you. You start to wonder why these struggles don't happen to other people except you. Why the rest have it easy when you kept struggling over your challenges? Now most of the times we don't know the challenges of others because they don't share with us. Even if it doesn't happen in the same manner to them, they also have their own struggles albeit in a different area. Everyone of us have our challenges but only in Christ can we overcome them.

Well, I have my own challenge. It's in the area of childbearing but I know the time has come for Him to cause me to overcome this. I have also asked God why other ladies seem to have no problem conceiving except me. But I came to a point I realized complaining and murmuring is not going to help me. God has already declared that a shift has occurred and what used to be a struggle is not a struggle anymore. Like Paul and Silas, I choose to worship and praise Him in the midst of my challenges, instead of complaining. When all hope seemed lost, I will still praise Him because He is a good God. Instead of looking at my chains and prison doors, I look to the One who is not bound by prison doors. I believe God is going to suddenly cause the breakthrough and open doors to happen as I sing and praise His name.

No wonder God does not want us to say that the longing of our heart is far off, because the time of our deepest desire has now come. He wants our hopes to be renewed and believe once again that the season of fulfillment is upon us. God beckons us to take it one more time than we think we have strength for. I also realized that there are always two sides to a coin. I can choose to see the positive and give thanks to God for it or I can choose to see the negative side of our 'lack'. God opened my eyes to see how much I have progressed and the marvelous works He has done in my life, compared to the seeming lack I have.

No wonder God says in everything give thanks to Him. A thanksgiving heart is a receiving heart. And the devil doesn't want us to be grateful to God. He knows how powerful thanksgiving, praise and worship is. He knows that when we shift our focus from ourselves to Jesus, something powerful happens to our spirit. Our faith rises up and as we continue to see Him perform breakthrough after breakthroughs, our faith is reinforced and it is an upward cycle.

Besides, God has taught me to guard my thoughts and my heart. Do not let my heart be troubled and let not the devil steal my peace, my rest, my joy and my song. Precisely because I hold it too tightly, the devil can keep pushing this button. The Lord told me 'Don't let him do it anymore, it is actually very simple. Just be nonchalant about it, let go of any cares to me. Have a bo-chap attitude and hold things lightly.' Be ever ready to praise God for big and small things and be expectant of the good things He has in store. Blessings are really hunting us down because it is open heavens and God is raining over us right now.

God's Shifts

One day while travelling, I was standing in one of the MRT cabins. Someone just left and I got a seat. Then I saw a mum and a small girl walk in, so I stood up to let them have my seat. I was standing in front of them and then I thought why not shift nearer to the door since there is a panel for me to lean against. From that place I saw a few more seats in the next cabin so I walked over to sit down.

There and then the Holy Spirit spoke to me. He said sometimes you cannot see the doors of opportunities if you stay put in one place. But when God moves you, it's like you have a new perspective and opportunities start opening up to you. These opportunities were out of your sight while you were at your former position. It's only when you moved that you saw them.

But the opportunities were there all the time. This reminds me of what Pastor Prince said...the potential was there all the time but it takes God to open our eyes and cause us to see those open doors. Sometimes it is waiting for the right season to manifest. This is the season. Now is the time! It's amazing as I thought about the move for me to serve at the Star and for Heng's office shift to another location.

These shifts were not coincidental but God-ordained. Surely God has more and better things in store for us at the new places. Those doors of opportunity which were not open or not in sight before were suddenly opened to us. Wow! I began to feel that when God tells us to shift, wonderful things are happening! God even told us to shift the furniture at our bedrooms for change is good for us. We would be able to see things we never saw before.

The enemy has been trying to get me to believe that I am still stuck at the same old place, with no progress. But it's not true. On the contrary, God said I have made so much progress that I cannot imagine. I have gone further than I think. God want my eyes to be opened to the fact that I am no longer circling the same mountain, that I have finally moved on. God is making a point that a change has occurred and I have come into His divine shifts. It has happened. I am no longer at the same old place. Everything has become new in my life.

I recall last Feb, the enemy also taunted me about things remaining the same even after God told me to 'arise and go' in Dec 2011. The enemy kept telling me that nothing has changed and I remembered feeling so blocked in all areas: ministry, book and childbearing. I felt so frustrated that nothing seemed to move in my life. But the fact was God told me things have changed and that something new was coming my way.

Indeed what God said proved to be true. In the same month things started to move, with an offer from a publishing house. Then early the next month, I signed a contract with Creation House. Afterwards things also moved regarding my ministry and in Apr 2012, I was already leading the CG. These areas were moving faster than I imagine. By mid July, I was already serving in the Prayer and Healing Room.

In Feb this year, when we sat at the front few rows in the Star, I saw that we have really progressed so much, so much that we could not imagine when we first stepped into this church. It was a big fat lie that the enemy was trying to feed me with: that I have not made any progress all these years. As we sat there worshipping at the Star, we marvelled that God had brought us so far...it is only by His grace that we can be where we are now. In Nov 2008, we were just visitors to this church. In July 2009, we had just crossed over to NCC and now, God has positioned us as leaders of this great church. If this is not the hand of God, what can it be? All glory to Jesus for He is the One who makes all this possible!