Recently I read the foreword of this wonderful devotional called 'The Daily Prophecy' by Brenda Kunneman. I chanced upon this devotional on the internet sometime in Sep last year and I just discovered that it was around the same time that the book was published. I am greatly blessed and edified by the daily prophecies written by Brenda Kunneman as most times I felt as if God was speaking to me through her message.
When I read the foreword, I realised why I had 'chanced' upon this devotional. God wanted to speak to me through these prophecies. In 1 Corinthians 3:22-23, the scripture says that the future belongs to us. God intends for us to influence, shape the future and cooperate with what wants to emerge in our life based on His proceeding word over us. He wants us to cooperate with His Spirit to bring that word to manifestation.
For that reason, becoming 'present-future' oriented is part of the unfolding process of the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:1-2) so that we can agree with God, calling those things that are not as though they are (Romans 4:27) and walking with God from the present to the future. Most of us fail to renew our minds in this aspect and get stuck in a 'past-present' mindset. Like Phil Connors, Bill Murray's famous character in 'Groundhog Day', we keep reliving the past and experience negative confirmations of self-fulfilling prophecies that anchor us to the past.
We continue to react as we did in the past, causing us to relive our yesterdays instead of influencing our tomorrows. As a result, we never live in the 'now' with God. No wonder God had to keep telling me to let go of my past for He is doing a new thing now. He spent so much effort trying to get me to change from being 'past-present' oriented to 'present-future' oriented. If I could not let go of the past, how could I move forward to the glorious future He prepared for me?
And so, God starts by bringing me through small incremental steps, one day at a time and making little shifts here and there: small but fundamental shifts that are part of the lifestyle of renewing our minds. It includes a fundamental shift in how we think, feel and speak. The process is called repentance or 'metanoia' in Greek. 'Metanoia' is an ongoing process, an educational process that reforms and renews us into the will of God, Who has created a compelling vision of a completed future of us in His word.
As He slowly shifted the way I think and the inner vision I have of myself, He is also working on my outward circumstances. He probably started this work of renewing my mind in 2008 and over time, through numerous shifts in my thinking, beliefs and even in my environment, He slowly brought me to my appointed place in His kingdom. The renewal of mind is still ongoing but I realised that the way I broke free from being stuck in a 'past-present' mindset and reframed into a 'present-future' mindset is by speaking and declaring God's Word for me one day at a time, allowing Him to work on one shift at a time.
This powerful book of inspiring prophetic declarations really helped to change the way I think and the way I speak. Over a few months, I saw that many of the prophetic declarations really came true in my life as I spoke them in faith. God desires to show us glimpses and visions of our future so that we can know His perfect plan for us. He wants us to speak forth these visions and cooperate with His Spirit to bring that vision to manifestation. When the revelations or visions come, we must record them down as a witness that God spoke things before they came to pass (Habakkuk 2:2-3). Then we can give God all the glory because He has spoken and He brought it to pass.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Fringe
I am a big fan of this science-fiction drama series called 'Fringe'. Much of the storyline for 'Fringe' involves a parallel universe that mostly mirrors the prime universe, but with its own distinctive characteristics. A parallel universe shows how small choices that you make define you as a person and can change your life in large ways down the line. I like the main character Olivia Dunham, a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent assigned to investigate the spread of unexplained phenomena. She later discovered that she was a child test subject under a scientist Walter Bishop for the drug Cortexiphan, giving her unusual abilities.
But today I am not talking about Olivia Dunham. The subject of interest here is a group of people called the Observers. The Observers were born out of an experiment performed by a Norwegian scientist in 2167. The experimenter modified human genes to displace certain emotional facilities for improved mental abilities, and the success of the experiment eventually led to the development of near-emotionless humans with high levels of intelligence that became the Observers. Without emotions, there was no urge to procreate, and thus the Observers developed technology to artificially grow new Observers using Observer DNA.
The Observers are able to predict future events, and they are able to travel through time and across universes without difficulty because of their advanced technology. The first batch of 12 Observers under the Science team were sent primarily to study and observe key moments in history leading up to their evolution, and ensure that certain events played out as they wished. This study is a form of research for an invasion of past-Earth, which took place in 2015. Each of them were given code names, corresponding to each month of the year. Although the Observers were programmed to experience no human emotions like love, sympathy and compassion, this batch of Observers admitted that they actually did experience human emotions of such.
In one of the episodes, one of the Observers, codename "August" kidnaps a woman, Christine Hollis, before she can die in a plane crash. August later has a meeting with his superiors, and they scold him for saving her, as she was supposed to die and is not "important" to history. They informed him that this problem would soon be corrected by sending a special assassin to kill Christine. With the assistance of Olivia and her team, August saved Christine from the assassin, but was mortally wounded in the process and recovered by another Observer, codename "September" before he could be interrogated by his superiors.
As August was dying, September questioned August as to his motivation for saving Christine, and August revealed that he fell in love with her after watching her for her entire life, and he asked if Christine would now be safe. September comforted him by informing him that Christine was now "important" to history, as she was indirectly responsible for the death of an Observer, and will therefore be allowed to remain alive. He watched August cry as he succumbed to his wounds.
You know when I read this, I am reminded of how the value of a person is intricably tied to who has died in place of that person. I think about how I am now "important" to history because my Lord Jesus died in my place. My sins were the reason why He died for me, to reconcile me to God. I am directly responsible for the death of the Darling of heaven, God's only begotten Son. Of course Jesus is so different from the Observers. He is so loving and so full of compassion. My heart is so grateful that He loves me so much that He willing died for me. And because He died for me, I will therefore be allowed to not just remain alive but to live eternally. What a divine exchange! Thank You, Jesus!
But today I am not talking about Olivia Dunham. The subject of interest here is a group of people called the Observers. The Observers were born out of an experiment performed by a Norwegian scientist in 2167. The experimenter modified human genes to displace certain emotional facilities for improved mental abilities, and the success of the experiment eventually led to the development of near-emotionless humans with high levels of intelligence that became the Observers. Without emotions, there was no urge to procreate, and thus the Observers developed technology to artificially grow new Observers using Observer DNA.
The Observers are able to predict future events, and they are able to travel through time and across universes without difficulty because of their advanced technology. The first batch of 12 Observers under the Science team were sent primarily to study and observe key moments in history leading up to their evolution, and ensure that certain events played out as they wished. This study is a form of research for an invasion of past-Earth, which took place in 2015. Each of them were given code names, corresponding to each month of the year. Although the Observers were programmed to experience no human emotions like love, sympathy and compassion, this batch of Observers admitted that they actually did experience human emotions of such.
In one of the episodes, one of the Observers, codename "August" kidnaps a woman, Christine Hollis, before she can die in a plane crash. August later has a meeting with his superiors, and they scold him for saving her, as she was supposed to die and is not "important" to history. They informed him that this problem would soon be corrected by sending a special assassin to kill Christine. With the assistance of Olivia and her team, August saved Christine from the assassin, but was mortally wounded in the process and recovered by another Observer, codename "September" before he could be interrogated by his superiors.
As August was dying, September questioned August as to his motivation for saving Christine, and August revealed that he fell in love with her after watching her for her entire life, and he asked if Christine would now be safe. September comforted him by informing him that Christine was now "important" to history, as she was indirectly responsible for the death of an Observer, and will therefore be allowed to remain alive. He watched August cry as he succumbed to his wounds.
You know when I read this, I am reminded of how the value of a person is intricably tied to who has died in place of that person. I think about how I am now "important" to history because my Lord Jesus died in my place. My sins were the reason why He died for me, to reconcile me to God. I am directly responsible for the death of the Darling of heaven, God's only begotten Son. Of course Jesus is so different from the Observers. He is so loving and so full of compassion. My heart is so grateful that He loves me so much that He willing died for me. And because He died for me, I will therefore be allowed to not just remain alive but to live eternally. What a divine exchange! Thank You, Jesus!
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Thank God for the open door!
We have stepped into the Star and into the year 2013. As Pastor Prince shared in the first service of the year, the theme for this year is 'The Key of David'. It is a year when God opens doors that no one can shut. Pastor Prince was saying two Sundays ago that some of the church members had already experienced the open doors in their lives. My first thought was 'So fast!'. God is so good to them.
Well, little did I know that God was orchestrating things behind the scenes to open this door for me. Ever since our church started worshipping at the Star on 23 Dec 2012, I have been thinking about the Star. I fell in love with the Star, this place where I call home. However, as my Sunday serving in Prayer and Healing Room is based at Marina Bay Sands (our church's satellite venue), I was not able to attend the Star regularly. I know that the church said they will look into rotating leaders so they can have a chance to serve at the Star, but in my heart, I thought...maybe not so soon.
My heart's desire and one of my three wishes this year is to be able to serve in a greater capacity at the Star. Although I did not request to be rotated to serve at the Star, secretly my prayer was if God wills, He will open a door of opportunity for me. Meanwhile, I will just be faithful to where He calls me, whether it is at Marina Bay Sands or the Star. I really did not expect God to open this door so soon. I received good news that the church is considering to move me to the Star, starting from February. My heart leapt! So fast? I am so thankful to the Lord for making this wish come true for me so soon. God is so good to me!
I am really excited about being able to attend services at the Star. All satellite locations are flowing with God's anointing when Pastor Prince preaches but there is something about being able to see the worship team and Pastor Prince 'live' on the stage. Well, all I can say is the place makes my spirit jump with joy and excitement each time I stepped into it. I don't know why...maybe my calling has got to do with that place. It is really like my Promised Land! Anyhow, I am very sure God is lovingly directing my steps and indeed He makes all things beautiful in its time! Praise Jesus!
Well, little did I know that God was orchestrating things behind the scenes to open this door for me. Ever since our church started worshipping at the Star on 23 Dec 2012, I have been thinking about the Star. I fell in love with the Star, this place where I call home. However, as my Sunday serving in Prayer and Healing Room is based at Marina Bay Sands (our church's satellite venue), I was not able to attend the Star regularly. I know that the church said they will look into rotating leaders so they can have a chance to serve at the Star, but in my heart, I thought...maybe not so soon.
My heart's desire and one of my three wishes this year is to be able to serve in a greater capacity at the Star. Although I did not request to be rotated to serve at the Star, secretly my prayer was if God wills, He will open a door of opportunity for me. Meanwhile, I will just be faithful to where He calls me, whether it is at Marina Bay Sands or the Star. I really did not expect God to open this door so soon. I received good news that the church is considering to move me to the Star, starting from February. My heart leapt! So fast? I am so thankful to the Lord for making this wish come true for me so soon. God is so good to me!
I am really excited about being able to attend services at the Star. All satellite locations are flowing with God's anointing when Pastor Prince preaches but there is something about being able to see the worship team and Pastor Prince 'live' on the stage. Well, all I can say is the place makes my spirit jump with joy and excitement each time I stepped into it. I don't know why...maybe my calling has got to do with that place. It is really like my Promised Land! Anyhow, I am very sure God is lovingly directing my steps and indeed He makes all things beautiful in its time! Praise Jesus!
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