Empower - By His Spirit

Ooh... I spent a week doing up this entry... and it's finally done! Praise God!!

For a couple of months my sub-msn nick was “Journey of Faith”.
Today I’ve finally changed it to “By His Spirit”.

Embarking on a new Chapter - OC @ Phillip Island

As I mentioned in my previous entry, I have just returned from an amazing experience over the previous weekend. I spent my Easter Weekend in Melbourne’s Phillip Island, attending a conference called Oceania Convention (OC). OC is annually organised whereby Hope Churches from all over Oceania (Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific Islands) gather together and grow in God’s heartbeat for us and getting to know more of His Word and Him! Each year, there will be a different theme for the convention. Last year, the theme was “Immersion – A Contextualised Church”. And that was my first ever OC.

Here’s just a picture of me performing last year at OC 2008.

This year, our theme was 'Empower - By My Spirit'. Before Jesus was crucified, He told His disciples:

"But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. "
- John 16:13-15

In this entry, I'm going to share a little bit about the Holy Spirit... and also what God has done in my life through this convention - the prophecies I had received, the things He revealed to me, and the breakthroughs I had.

Just a little about the Holy Spirit...

Doctrines are my favourite. But I hope I don't bore you with them.

The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Trinity. When He lives and moves in us, we become alive. In the same way, when the Holy Spirit moves in our church, the church becomes alive too!

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,"
- Matthew 28:19

"You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you."
- Romans 8:9-11

God's work in my life through this convention...
Late last year and early this year, as year 2008 was coming to an end, I began to seek the Lord for His direction for me in the year of 2009. In the midst of my spiritual dryness over the past year, I found myself moving off-track from God, where I began to rely on my own strength and might to fulfil things and serve Him. As mentioned couple of entries earlier where I shared my testimony in Church, God did take me through a season of dryness to help me understand that it was not by might not by strength that I could serve Him or walk life in, but only by His Spirit.

Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty.
- Zechariah 4:6b

So one of my New Year resolutions of 2009 is to be able to rely on the Holy Spirit more and walk in line with His will and guidance – to be more Spirit-led and Spirit-filled.

And God works in amazing ways. In OC, Pastor Simon mentioned 5 ‘P’s when God’s Holy Spirit moves.
1. Purification
2. Power
3. Passion
4. Purpose
5. Plan – Present & Future

And it’s amazing that even as I am penning down this entry, I realised that God had actually done all these in my life!


The Step of Purification

The first P is Purification/Purify. This is when God challenges us regarding sin in our lives. Amazingly, one month before the convention, our Church embarked on a 'Fast and Prayer Fortnight' called 'Purify'. During this fortnight, God revealed to me many things in my life. With the theme 'Purify', God did intend to purify His Church, so did He intend to purify me too.


Tests and obstacles came up and God revealed to me certain areas of my life that I never knew was a problem. Through the difficulties and circumstances, I understood God wanted me to deal with issues and sin in my life that I might not have thought was there or put under wraps intentionally by thinking that time would heal things. God is always doing His work in our lives and He will never stop to help us become a better person. And so He began convicting me of certain rotten areas in my life.


After revealing to me my sins that I never knew about God, I didn't know how to deal with them. I remembered just laying them down at the feet of Jesus and claiming His Grace and love for me - His Promise. I also took the initiative to tidy up my life as the Lord led me and amazingly as I chose to please God and honour Him, God made it very easy for me to settle certain situations in my life.

Power of the Holy Spirit

Even as I traded my sin, shame and pain to the Lord, God still wanted to do a deeper level of purification. Before OC, God constantly challenged me to get my heart for Him right, and even embarked me on re-reading the book of Acts. Using the Manga Metamorphosis to help me gain a better visualisation of the book of Acts helped me understood the power and purpose of the Holy Spirit more. There and then, I remembered the flame for the vision God laid in my heart re-ignite.

In the Manga, there was an illustration of Peter being empowered by the Holy Spirit as he addressed the crowd in Acts 2:14 with authority and courage.

The Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.”
- Acts 2:14

I had a strong desire to know the Lord intimately and to be empowered by His Holy Spirit, that I may not rely on my own might and abilities, but be like Peter, though afraid yet standing up to speak in His authority given from on high.

Passion to His Calling

God re-ignited the flame for a vision He once laid in my heart and I began to hunger for His will to be done. I began to thirst for a greater portion of His Spirit in my life that I may fulfil His calling in my life. A thirst after His Living Water, that as I drink from Him, I will not be thirsty again.

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
- John 4:13-14

I will talk about the other 2 'P's later.

At the Convention...

It was amazing to see how my life was transformed through the trip, and how God had intended for me to attend this Convention, and even how the fast and prayer fortnight a month earlier came into play. Remember I mentioned that God has prepared my heart with a purpose of purification during the fast and prayer fortnight. And immediately it was put into play upon reaching Phillip Island. I became a little ill upon arrival and something within me sensed it was spiritual warfare. I also was unhappy at little things and bitter in my heart with certain people, food and the inability to sign up for the workshop I wanted to attend. Even though something in my heart told me it was the deil at work, taking this chance to create problems, I continued to feel horrible and almost even thought that the next 3 days at the island would be a suffering one.

But thank God that my loving sisters prayed for me to get better, and I did. I also realised that it wasn’t only me feeling slightly unhappy, but as we found out how each other were thinking, we really accredited the chaos to the devil. That was when we knew we had to pray, because the devil wasn’t happy that God’s people were coming together to do something! In return, we prayed and encouraged each other and pressed on towards the goal God had for us!

Part 1 – Conviction of Sin

On Saturday, we woke up early and had our Judah 6 quiet time at 6.30am. Before we split up into our individual devotions to seek God, Jace shared what the Lord had placed in her heart. What she said was straight to the heart because it was so true, that we didn't come for a holiday - we came to seek God and to grow in God! If we were not careful, our expectations and purpose of coming to this convention would head the wrong way.
Bottomline - if we want comfort and all the things to go our way, we should probably just sign up for a 5 star hotel trip in Japan.

I went to the basketball court where it was just me and the Lord. Praise God. For once, without following my daily reading plan, I was inspired by the Spirit to read Galatians.

So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
- Galatians 5:16-18

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
- Galatians 5:19-21

The verses hit straight into my heart. God was revealing to me one by one acts of sinful nature that if I dug deep into my, I can't deny but say I'm just a sinful person. It was very obvious that at that point in time, the Holy Spirit was convicting me of my sins. And He wasn’t going easy on me. God intended to purify me, not only on the surface level, but deep in the roots to my inmost heart condition. He wanted me to know the different acts of sinful nature doesn’t have to be MAJOR sins that the world views, but even the tiniest sin of any of the above makes it a sin. For example, when I do something good that on the appearance seem to be for the glory of God, but yet deep down somewhere I know that pride was taking its place. That itself can accredit to selfish ambition.

In revelation and devastation, God illuminated my heart condition – I have not fully identified, repented and committed to Him so many of these areas in my life! I then cried out to the Lord in repentance of sin but helplessness, knowing I could not save myself nor try to work and gain self-righteousness. God then led me on to the following verses.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
- Galatians 5:22-26

The hope of the God dawn upon me once again. The decision to cut sin away from my life and live by His Spirit is one that I had to make. Because by my own power or might will never come the ability to make myself righteous. It is by faith, through Grace that we are saved and redeemed through the sacrifice of Christ for our sins. And in the very same way, we are made perfect in Him, through Christ.

"You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you."
- Romans 8:9-11

God then continued to speak to me through the following verses on how I should behave and act in circumstances, with a right heart attitude and manner.

Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load. Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor. Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
- Galatians 6:1-10

I learnt from God that if I find brother or sister in sin, I should restore him/her GENTLY, and even in the process WATCH MYSELF that I will not fall away into other problems, such as pride. In the midst of doing good, I have to find the root and reason why I am doing good so that sin will not have a chance to tempt me. My achievement with God should not become a reason for pride to so by testing my actions when I am doing 'right', I will be aware not to sow to please my sinful nature, but to sow to please the Spirit.

After God revealed to me all these during quiet time, I felt refreshed but yet it wasn’t over. The devil was out to continue His work and He constantly tried to remind me about different things and issues that was keeping my focus away from God.

Part 2 – A Prophetic Message

At night, we had an hour long ministering session after Pastor Simon’s teaching and I went to the altar to be prayed for. As I was just kneeling down and seeking the Lord, Pastors and leaders were going around praying for everyone. There were hundred of people and less than a hundred leaders so as I was just seeking the Lord and worshipping Him, I had the thought that I might not be prayed for. While I was hoping for a leader to come and pray for me, one of the leaders came up out of nowhere and brought me a word from the Lord. The amazing thing was the this leader had not asked me what I wanted him to pray for me, and I was not close to him. But out of no where, he just came up beside me and told me with an authority that I knew came from the Holy Spirit.

The message was that the old had returned to haunt me and the devil is trying to remind me of the past and old things. But God is saying that He is going to give me a NEW LIFE and He will BURY THE OLD, that it will no longer be touched again.

After giving me the message, the leader left and went on to pray for other people. To him, I believe he spoke out of faith of what the Lord had placed in his heart to speak to me. But for me, I thank this brother for his faith to believe that God had this message for me. Indeed, the message spoke so much into the situation I had, that the old had returned to disturb me, and it was making me really miserable as I wanted the distractions OUT of my life, so I could focus on God.

I kept the message somewhere in my heart and kept praying that God will bring forth the new life that He had promised.

Part 3 – The Prophecy Fulfilled

The next day, during a workshop "Moving in the Spirit with Discernment", Helen preached about different things that could affect one spiritually - things that the devil could take hold of to mess up your life, and things that we have to be careful of that requires discernment.

During the altar call, everyone was just worshipping and responding to God’s call freeing ourselves from any spirit of rejection or insecurity that many individuals had. And just as the song was finishing and a minute before Helen called for the next altar call, I felt the right side of my jaw/neck in spasm where it kind of lost control. At that point, I remembered there was something called ‘manifestation’. Something in my spirit sensed it was not from God and the word ‘deliverance’ and ‘manifestation’ kept coming to my mind. But then on another hand, I was afraid and I quickly tried to suppress the spasm by pressing down hard on the muscle with my hand. Then the prayer point moved on and the spasm stopped but there was a total loss of feeling and numbness on my right neck and jaw.

After the workshop ended, different ones were going up to be prayed for and somehow, I told Veon what happened. Immediately, she excitedly replied, “Go up and get prayed for deliverance, I want to see!!!”

She was excited because she said she had never witness it before. I was afraid. I always wanted to see deliverance – but not on myself. But then I believe the Holy Spirit prompted me to go up to be prayed for. So I joined in the queue to get prayed by Helen. And it’s amazing how strong the devil just didn’t want me to go up to be prayed for. All the time I was queuing up, there were different situations that made me want to retreat and not go for the prayer. I had thoughts like, I might have to queue for 2 hours. Or thoughts like, ‘other people needed the prayer more than me’. I even tried to ask Jace to pray for me instead so I wouldn’t have to bother Helen. But thank God Jace’s answer was, “You will see me almost everyday, but you see Helen only once in a year.”

Finally it was my turn. And I told Helen what I experienced. She reckoned it was a manifestation and she asked me if my family practiced idol worship. I said yes. I also told her that my ex-boyfriend used to dabble in black magic and because of him I had encounters with the spiritual world. I also told her I used to be a very devout Buddhist. And she instantly ‘saw it’. She identified a spirit of witchcraft and then led me in a prayer to renounce many things. She prayed in the name of Jesus for any links to the devil to be broken and leave me and even as she prayed, she was gentle yet firm and authorative.

As she commanded the spirits that were attacking/pestering me to leave, I felt a force that made me take a step back. And when I did that Veon and Kathy who were behind me quickly stood up because they thought I was going to fall. Helen held me back and again she prayed for another round of deliverance and I felt a slight manifestation in my right arm and my jaw and neck that was numb became very hot, and I also took another step back. One more time she prayed and command all remaining ties to be broken that might still be around, and that moment I felt very light and set free. Instantly, she prayed for the infilling of the Holy Spirit to fill me. And even as she did, I was slain in the Spirit. I was light headed and my knees became weak that I couldn’t stand so Helen told me to take a seat as she continued to pray. Praise God for right after that I felt free. Something in the spiritual world happened, and I’ve been set free. Thought through physical eyes one may not see, but my spirit knew that I was free.

Veon and some other sisters continued in prayer with me for another hour or more for the infilling of the Holy Spirit. There was a spiritual battle going on. The devil wasn’t happy and He kept trying to try me on many things. But the Bible says in James 4:7, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Amen and amen. God is good. I’ve been set free and as the Praise and Worship team were rehearsing their songs, I joined in and freely danced around and worshipped God. And the feeling was so free and good. I felt so much more connected with God and was able to freely worship God in His Presence.

With that, I also understood the prophetic message that was given to me the night before by the leader. Indeed, it was so tangible that the old (the devil) was back to haunt me. Yet God was going to give me a NEW LIFE, and BURY THE OLD and it will never be taken up again.

Praise God! Praise God! Hallelujah!!

Part 4 – Passion, Purpose and Plan

Jace then with the intention to pray for protection and covering for me, prayed and spoke forth God’s message to me via Psalm 91. Even as she wanted to pray for protection and covering, she sensed God saying that He has already got me covered. Instead, God wants me to continue to look to Him and take Him as my refuge, and He is going to use me greatly.

Then later at night, Ps Lai Ling also prayed for me. She also, without asking me anything, revealed a prophetic message to me. She sensed there was fear in my heart to receive what God has for me, which was quite true. But she said that God was giving me a consuming fire that is in my heart for Him and the work that He is going to give me. God is asking me not to be afraid and claim the gift that He has given to me. That God has stirred and is setting in me the fire that He is giving me, and that I will rise up in fire for His Kingdom. She also sensed many things in my heart that was so accurate and true and God used her to speak to me so directly. God also used her to help me understand what it is to be like being in His Presence with the intent that I will know and remember and familiarise myself with Him.

Going back to my earlier part of the entry about the 5 Ps. God purified me, showed me His power and gave me a passion and desire for His power and Spirit once again. He also showed me His purpose and plan in my life for the present and future by using different people so speak prophetic messages to me.

The Great Epilogue...

To end my entry, I just want to say that I experienced something that will change my life from this convention onwards. All these while, God had begun His work by giving me a desire and burden for a greater portion of His Spirit. The Lord spoke to me through so many different people and ways and now I'm out and back from OC, with a fire in me that can't be tamed.

God is amazing. And when we are sensitive to His Spirit, He can do wonderful works in our lives. When I first wrote this entry, I didn’t have different ‘parts and sections’ to my entry. But reading again, I saw that God actually pieced this whole experience with His hands.

It is always so encouraging to see what God is doing in my life whenever I look back after each chapter to see that God did not just bump me around aimlessly, but He carefully planned each step of my life and experiences, that after each experience, I can pen it down beautifully that gives a full story. God is good, creative and sovereign!

Oceania Convention 2009: 'Empower – By My Spirit' rocks!!!
Because God made it rock!

Loving brothers and sisters of Judah 6

Evelyn and Me

Kuzi - my home girl and housemate
Morning tea time - Sorry Michelle that I killed your scone in the midst of my 'later-age acquired ADHD'...


Praise God for Oceania Convention 2009 - I've Been Set Free and am filled with His Spirit!!!

Now on a side note...

Praise God!

My brother just returned from a mission trip in Cambodia with his church in Singapore. It’s amazing to see how God is using my family members to fulfil His Great Commission. Keep praying for your families to come to know the Lord and even beyond that! Pray that they will not just know the Lord, but to know and capture God’s heart.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
- 1 Chronicles 16:34

Children praying at Church in Cambodia.

My brother with the little ones.
Some times it’s not just about talking. It’s about doing. I’m so glad to see my brother going out there in the world to impact lives!

You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.
- James 2:22

God bless all of you who have read my humble 'little' entry. :)

Luv ya.

In Christ,
Shannon

Return from the Transfiguration

I've just came back from the Transfiguration.

Matthew 17
1After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. 4Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." 5While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!" 6When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid." 8When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. 9As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

How I wished to remain up on the mountain top but that's not what Jesus did. Conventions are great and retreats are awesome, but taking that and being filled with God's Spirit up 'there' will mean taking that glory back down the valley with us - to be the salt and light in the world.

14When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15"Lord, have mercy on my son," he said. "He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him."
17"O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me." 18Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.

God's tangible Presence was so strong in OC - so was the devil. But one thing we knew for sure, was that God's Presence was making the devil lose - We have the VICTORY through JESUS!

I wrote a 2 hour long entry last night with the intention to post details of my mountain top experience with God, but then on second thoughts, I might not post it - not yet. As spiritual warfare is strong - these kinda things comes with lots of prayer and when I get the peace to post it, I'll post it! Hee..

But all I wanna say is, God touched my life so greatly and it's marked a change/turning point in my life since last weekend. God is going to continue to guide and use me. And I have to keep praying, keep eating of His Word and drinking of His Living Water - because you need water to help you swallow!

So I just wanna encourage y'all - Eat His Word (read the Bible), and drink His Living Water (fellowship and move with His Holy Spirit).

And we will witness revival - real soon.

Praise God! :)

Running for the prize - And my church testimony clip

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
- 1 Cor 9:24-25

Lately I've been hitting the gym about 3 times a week, though it was amazing I hit the gym 4 times this week. Primarily with the intention to get my health back into shape, secondarily with the intention of physically getting into shape.

And as I hit my first 6 km in my life, I'd love to call it an accomplishment. I did 6km in 45 mins... Some might consider it amazing, but some might beg to differ - they can do better. But for my first 6km in my life ever - I'd love to say it's an achievement.

But through this time with the cardio, I noticed an interesting observation that inspired me to start writing today. Each time I get on the threadmill, I realise that I'm all excited to get the blood rushing and I jog on a tougher intensity. But whenever I hit 8 - 10 minutes, I start to contemplate stopping the machine and slumping into a rest. Between 11 - 17 minutes comes the period where I have a bit of difficulty pressing on and it's the time I decrease the intensity to keep running... and when the 18 min mark is achieved, I urge myself to continue because 20 min is coming. And when 20 min hits, I psychologically deceive myself with "you've got only 10 mins left, if you don't do it now, it's going to be over soon!"

Why am I writing this? For the sake of confusing you? Nope. It just dawns upon me that this mentality I have reflects our walk with God.

The excitment in the first few minutes on embarking this 'run' makes me try all the tough things - a desire to tackle the difficult, a desire to exercise my faith. But as the run continues, different things wear off, and times become harder and there is a need to perservere. That is the time where our minds may contemplate 'stopping the run' (walking away from God) or 'decrease the intensity' (backsliding). But before we drift further away, there is a wake up call - where God reminds us through many different ways that 'if you don't do it now, it will be too late!"

As I have once been through a season of dryness in my life and few months ago come out of it, I see the picture bigger and clearer. I'm not saying that I've known everything, but God did teach me perserverance during the year of 2008, and remembered where I begin the year with the verse 'perserverance, character; and character, hope'. I have come out of a challenging period of my life. But at the same time, embarking on another challenging period in my life.

But one thing I know for sure, is that God is with me, and He loves me too much for me to remain where I am. Even as the Church is embarking on this fast and prayer fortnight, God has already revealed to me so much about my heart condition and helping me to achieve spiritual breakthrough! Today as my brothers and sisters are out at Southbank chilling over a comedy movie, I decided that I should be back here, at home, seeking God and getting myself right with him again.

It's always a journey. But a journey that comes with success after success.

I will have another great testimony of how the Lord worked in my life this season. But even as God embarks me on this journey, may I not forget what the Lord has taught me from the previous season.

Early last month, I was given the awesome privilege to share my testimony in church. And so here is the clip I promised... And if you're wondering where there's so much 'laughing' before I got up to the front.. it's because the chairperson that day made a mistake when introducing me.

Well.. enjoy the clip, and here's my 50 cents entry. Hope it did touch your day.

Be a "Yes Man" for God

Caught the "Yes Man" movie just the Saturday ago, and as usual, another Jim Carrey comedy - my favourite. I always go about with this saying, "Jim Carrey is the reason why I'm such a hyped up crazy young lady."

Well, the story is about Carl Allen (Jim Carrey), a divorced man who had been shunning social gatherings to avoid his ex-wife and her boyfriend. In almost every single request in his life from approving monetary loans to spam mail in the email, his reply was always "NO". The movie progresses to tell how Carl Allen met an old friend who introduced him to a inspirational guru that compelled him to start a 'new life', where he made a covenant to say "Yes" to every invitation and opportunity presented to him.

His whole life began to take a change as he forced himself out of his comfort zone to say "Yes" to many things he didn't want to do - for the fear of bad luck happening to him should he say 'No".
His obligation to say 'Yes' sent him driving a homeless man to a park, where he then ran out of petrol, money (giving them all to the man) and phone battery (used up by the man). Walking to the gas station for petrol, he met Allison who took pity on him and gave him a ride on her scooter and eventually kissed him. Miraculously, after the positive start, things began to take a change in his life as he got a job promotion for saying 'Yes' to working on Saturdays, and saying 'Yes' to loan applications for his company that brought in a stunning increase of revenue for his company.

I shan't continue about the movie... but it's a good one.

But what I wanted to type today was how the movie spoke to me. Instead of being just another 'Yes Man' in life, I took the picture from another angle. I believe that God, our provider, is seeking our answers to be "Yes" to all that He asks from us. Saying "Yes" to God may not be an easy thing to do, but doing that definitely will bring about a certain degree of blessing that cannot compare to all other earthly blessings.

So there can be a couple ways to handle situations and opportunities in our lives.

1. Saying "No" to everything.

As life presents before us, we meet turns and crossroads that requires us to make decisions. There's no one answer that can answer every single question in our lives. Saying No keeps us where we are, or maybe even deterioriate relationships and circumstances in our lives.

2. Saying "Yes" to everything.

Our journey in life requires us to make wise decisions, whether in relationships, in work or in our responsibilities, we have been placed so many times at crossroads. We can't say "Yes" to everything. It just wouldn't work - it might land us in situations saying "Yes" to doing things that are immoral and sinful - or even things we may consider to be good, but not the route God intended for us... and that itself may just burn us out and lead us to unhappy outcomes.

Saying "Yes" to worldly things can land you in a great fix! Just as the movie depicted. (Watch the movie to know what happened!)

3. Saying "Yes" with wisdom from God and "Yes" to all that God asks.

Nothing beats saying "YES GOD!".

God is good - all the time. Through life difficulties and circumstances, God is still good. Every moment in our lives, God is preparing to give us every good and perfect gift, that we may embrace and receive it. But the way God works does not comply to the way the world may think He works.. and the way He works is never the way the world works. God's blessings come in disguises and to receive His blessings, I have learnt, is to always first say "Yes" to what He asks of us.

Through a season of dryness lately, I've been asking God why different things in life had happened. In His sovereignity, He seemed to be saying "Start saying Yes to me and you will hear me more."

The more we reject and disobey God the more our hearts become hardened and eventually one day we will fall away. I thank God so much for He has not given up on me despite the times I almost given up. And I also thank God for just making things happen in my life that always lead to a blessing in disguise. Our Father in heaven will bring us through life lessons - easy and tough ones - to teach and guide us in our walk with Him, that we may walk righteously.

because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." Endure hard-ship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?
Hebrews 12:6-7

I love it so much time and again I get to the stage of brokeness and totally just laying down my life before God. As the His Word promises that blessed are those who are weak and contrite in spirit, for they will see God.

For this is what the high and lofty One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy: "I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. Isaiah 57:15 (NIV)

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3 (NIV)

Saying "Yes" to God is not always easy. I've been reading a book called "Authentic Faith" by Gary Thomas that has been targeting the underlying issues of why we sometimes find it so difficult to say "Yes" to God. Something that struck me deeply from what he wrote:

It's human nature to value most that which has cost us something. If you don't highly value your faith, perhaps you've never sacrificed for it.

How much have I sacrificed in my life that I may say "YES" to God? I have realised it's not momentary sacrifice, but a long term sacrifice. It's not those who start strong, and die in the middle, but those perservere till the end!

So I learn, and will keep on learning to say "Yes" to God. I won't just be another Yes Man in the world, but to be a Yes Man for God!

Happy 2009

Past is the word of 2008 yet ahead awaits the fresh new breeze of 2009.

It somewhat pins down to what I could call, sampling the air of 2009, which seems to lure me into...

Wahaha.. iight, I won't go on in my inspirational mode for I might lose everyone's attention.

I guess 2008 had been a great year, with me getting to know more of God's vision for me and also a season of pruning that the Gardener had been bringing me through. A season of rising up to take His calling and a season of humbling within to receive His directions.

I thank God so much for His faithfulness even as I looked back and reviewed the new year resolutions I set prayerfully with Him, and to see everything come to pass has been one great blessing.

During Watchnight @ James' house, we were told to eat write a blessing the Lord has poured forth in our lives in the year of 2008, and it struck all of us to admit that we couldn't possibly write just 'one blessing'. So taking the highlight, I wrote the greatest blessing I received - that my mother came to know Jesus Christ.

It's been cool to always look back and see how God fulfilled His promises and how I could have trusted Him more.

In July, Mom came to Brisbane to attend my graduation and during the trip, God spoke to me up at Mount Glorious that she was going to come to know Him during the holiday in Brisbane. Everyday I prayed really hard, trusting God for this promise to come to. My heart never failed to give an extra thud during the altar call for the Sinners Prayer, hoping that my Mom would respond to the call. However, till the last Sunday service, Mom still didn't accept Christ.

I began to cry out... Was it me that wanted Mom to be saved that much that I began to think words in my mind and made them God's words? I began to doubt and decided that maybe God would move in His own timing.. maybe not during this trip.

But as Mom and I headed to the airport as were heading back to Singapore, just five minutes before we entered the departure hall, Mom accepted Christ.

It was overwhelming... but then I hated myself for doubting, but through that I was glad I heard God's voice, and it was truly His voice that I heard... Now Mom has been growing strong in her faith back in Singapore and I believe for greater things to come... The salvation of my other family members and relatives.

As I plan once again prayerfully for the new year, may God guide me.. and YOU as we come to see His promises fulfilled.

Praise God and Happy New Year to all of you!