Maybe God has something else planned for your life.
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Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
YWAM The Call - Wine and Wine-skins
The YWAM retreat also had a guest speaker in Dan Sneed, who is gifted in teaching about our identity in Christ. He taught on different topics through the days, and here are some excerpts from his sessions.
Matthew 9:17
English Standard Version (ESV)
17Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved."
The process of re-using old wine-skins for new wine was used by Dan to explain how the Holy Spirit's work in us is a continual process (although the text above refers to new wine-skins for new wine).
Analogy: Old wine-skins are soaked > the crusty old bits are scraped off > the wine-skin is stretched > new wine is poured in > the process repeats itself
Application: The Holy Spirit softens our hearts during our time with Him - worship (soaking) > the Holy Spirit puts His hand on areas in our lives that we need to deal with (deliverance - scraping) > the Holy Spirit stretches and prepares us for a new season > we're ready for the new wine > the process repeats itself
* When the Holy Spirit puts His hand on an area in our lives, we need to deal with it. Our spiritual health is important to God.
* We have to be willing to keep allowing the Holy Spirit to continually work in us.
* Hurt people hurt people. The church is an excellent place to get hurt but we're to keep short accounts.
Matthew 9:17
English Standard Version (ESV)
17Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved."
The process of re-using old wine-skins for new wine was used by Dan to explain how the Holy Spirit's work in us is a continual process (although the text above refers to new wine-skins for new wine).
Analogy: Old wine-skins are soaked > the crusty old bits are scraped off > the wine-skin is stretched > new wine is poured in > the process repeats itself
Application: The Holy Spirit softens our hearts during our time with Him - worship (soaking) > the Holy Spirit puts His hand on areas in our lives that we need to deal with (deliverance - scraping) > the Holy Spirit stretches and prepares us for a new season > we're ready for the new wine > the process repeats itself
* When the Holy Spirit puts His hand on an area in our lives, we need to deal with it. Our spiritual health is important to God.
* We have to be willing to keep allowing the Holy Spirit to continually work in us.
* Hurt people hurt people. The church is an excellent place to get hurt but we're to keep short accounts.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
YWAM The Call - Listening to God
YWAM The Call:
A call to His people
To return to the heart of worship
To wait on Him to hear His heart
To prepare a resting place for His presence and glory
Short notes from Donna Jordan's session on Listening to God. Quite wonderful. We were all seated in a circle and she said that she's going to talk to us as God leads her. Leaving this in the chronological manner in which she spoke.
* Four voices are always with us:
- God's voice
- Our voice
- Devil's voice
- Others' voice
* How do we test and discern that it's God voice that we're hearing?
By the witness in our Spirit; the witness in other people's spirit; the Word of the Lord. Just as we would always recognise our earthly fathers' voices, we would recognise God's voice more and more if we have a deep relationship with Him.
Also if we're hearing God speak to other people through us, we should ask: "I feel this is what God is saying. What do you think? Does it mean anything to you? Do you feel something in your spirit?"
* God wants to speak through our imagination but that, too, has to be committed to God.
* A prayer that Donna always starts her day with:
"Jesus, I love you. Father I submit all of me - my mind, body, spirit - to the Holy Spirit. What is on your heart today?"
* God wants to confide in friends
John 15:14-15
New International Version (NIV)
14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
* Listen to the Spirit's prompting. We will not be set free if we don't forgive. Choosing to forgive is important in allowing God to work through us. Keep short accounts.
Romans 12:1-2
A Living Sacrifice
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
* How do we break free?
James 4:7
New International Version (NIV)
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
* Relative statement »» Absolute truth = legalism
* Absolute truth »» Relative statement = liberalism
* Be continually filled with the Holy Spirit. This will show not through the gifts of the Spirit but rather through the fruit of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23
New International Version (NIV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
* Unbelief and pride hinders us from listening to God.
* Donna asked us to ask God these questions:
- Lord, what do you think of me?
- What do you want to say through me to this person?
- Lord, what do you think of me in a certain situation?
- Lord, what is on your heart today?
- Lord, whom do you want me to help today?
- Lord, what do you want me to learn today?
A call to His people
To return to the heart of worship
To wait on Him to hear His heart
To prepare a resting place for His presence and glory
Short notes from Donna Jordan's session on Listening to God. Quite wonderful. We were all seated in a circle and she said that she's going to talk to us as God leads her. Leaving this in the chronological manner in which she spoke.
* Four voices are always with us:
- God's voice
- Our voice
- Devil's voice
- Others' voice
* How do we test and discern that it's God voice that we're hearing?
By the witness in our Spirit; the witness in other people's spirit; the Word of the Lord. Just as we would always recognise our earthly fathers' voices, we would recognise God's voice more and more if we have a deep relationship with Him.
Also if we're hearing God speak to other people through us, we should ask: "I feel this is what God is saying. What do you think? Does it mean anything to you? Do you feel something in your spirit?"
* God wants to speak through our imagination but that, too, has to be committed to God.
* A prayer that Donna always starts her day with:
"Jesus, I love you. Father I submit all of me - my mind, body, spirit - to the Holy Spirit. What is on your heart today?"
* God wants to confide in friends
John 15:14-15
New International Version (NIV)
14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
* Listen to the Spirit's prompting. We will not be set free if we don't forgive. Choosing to forgive is important in allowing God to work through us. Keep short accounts.
Romans 12:1-2
A Living Sacrifice
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
* How do we break free?
James 4:7
New International Version (NIV)
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
* Relative statement »» Absolute truth = legalism
* Absolute truth »» Relative statement = liberalism
* Be continually filled with the Holy Spirit. This will show not through the gifts of the Spirit but rather through the fruit of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23
New International Version (NIV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
* Unbelief and pride hinders us from listening to God.
* Donna asked us to ask God these questions:
- Lord, what do you think of me?
- What do you want to say through me to this person?
- Lord, what do you think of me in a certain situation?
- Lord, what is on your heart today?
- Lord, whom do you want me to help today?
- Lord, what do you want me to learn today?
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
YWAM The Call - Worship
Had the tremendous privilege of going for a YWAM Associates' retreat/gathering even though I hadn't attended any DTS programme etc. As with previous gatherings, there was no agenda and the 60-70 of us were to spend the days just waiting on the Lord to lead us. I absolutely love such retreats precisely because God sets the agenda. We did have a guest speaker Dan Sneed as well as YWAM giants Peter and Donna Jordan, plus the current batch of the DTS students. I missed Day 1 because of work but tore myself away from work to go for for half of Day 2, Day 3 and Day 4.
The first session in the afternoon was for people involved in the worship ministry because we had an unusually large proportion of such people in the entire group. But the invitation was extended to those with a heart for worship so I went. We all individually shared about what worship meant to us. We then waited on the Lord and the circle was thrown open to those who wanted to share a song. So some felt led to lead with a song and we all followed. The session ended with us feeling the presence of God so strongly that all of us bowed down and wept. We also took off our shoes because we were literally on holy ground.
For me, I shared that when I was a new Christian, I looked at worship in terms of whether the worship team was playing my favourite songs, whether my favourite worship group was leading worship, etc. It seemed almost suicidal for me to share like that in front of so many worship ministry people but I felt the Lord wanted me to tell them what it was like for me in the congregation listening to them. Then I said that slowly I realised that worship was about God and that music was one of the most wondrous creations of God. I told them that sometimes, the worship was so good that if the service had ended there and then without even a sermon, that would have absolutely fine with me because that was all. I also shared that the best thing was that we could worship God in different languages. Like I could listen to a Kyrgyz Christian song and be moved by it. And I ended it with a question: Whom are we doing it for?
The session ended with someone saying that she longed for a worship session where different people/tribes could worship God using their languages and their culture. There were 23 countries represented during this retreat. Another shared a vision regarding the unfurling of different types of carpets to usher in the King. I was very moved because it reminded me of why to me, the taking of Holy Communion in the church was one of the best moments of a church service. It always warms my heart when I see people lining up and going to the front to take communion because I see people of different shapes and sizes and people of different races, underscoring the truth that God's grace is extended to all.
Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah
To the Lamb
Hallelujah hallelujah
By the blood of Christ we stand
Every tongue every tribe
Every people every land
Giving glory giving honor
Giving praise unto the Lamb of God
The leading of the first session set the tone for worship in the second session at night. We had dancing! :-) Four DTS students from Kona, Hawaii also felt led to perform the haka, which was deeply symbolic. It was not a performance but something they felt God had wanted them to do during the worship session. When they were doing the haka, the atmosphere was so moving - like there was the tearing down of spiritual strongholds and many breakthroughs. I could hardly pen down in words the awesomeness of that day, but am truly humbled and thankful to God that His presence was with us in such an amazing, holy and glorious way. I wanted to record it here so that I am always reminded that God showed Himself in a powerful way that day.
Lord, you are awesome, and I serve you. Wow. What an honour, what a privilege, what a life. Thank you, Lord.
The first session in the afternoon was for people involved in the worship ministry because we had an unusually large proportion of such people in the entire group. But the invitation was extended to those with a heart for worship so I went. We all individually shared about what worship meant to us. We then waited on the Lord and the circle was thrown open to those who wanted to share a song. So some felt led to lead with a song and we all followed. The session ended with us feeling the presence of God so strongly that all of us bowed down and wept. We also took off our shoes because we were literally on holy ground.
For me, I shared that when I was a new Christian, I looked at worship in terms of whether the worship team was playing my favourite songs, whether my favourite worship group was leading worship, etc. It seemed almost suicidal for me to share like that in front of so many worship ministry people but I felt the Lord wanted me to tell them what it was like for me in the congregation listening to them. Then I said that slowly I realised that worship was about God and that music was one of the most wondrous creations of God. I told them that sometimes, the worship was so good that if the service had ended there and then without even a sermon, that would have absolutely fine with me because that was all. I also shared that the best thing was that we could worship God in different languages. Like I could listen to a Kyrgyz Christian song and be moved by it. And I ended it with a question: Whom are we doing it for?
The session ended with someone saying that she longed for a worship session where different people/tribes could worship God using their languages and their culture. There were 23 countries represented during this retreat. Another shared a vision regarding the unfurling of different types of carpets to usher in the King. I was very moved because it reminded me of why to me, the taking of Holy Communion in the church was one of the best moments of a church service. It always warms my heart when I see people lining up and going to the front to take communion because I see people of different shapes and sizes and people of different races, underscoring the truth that God's grace is extended to all.
Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah
To the Lamb
Hallelujah hallelujah
By the blood of Christ we stand
Every tongue every tribe
Every people every land
Giving glory giving honor
Giving praise unto the Lamb of God
The leading of the first session set the tone for worship in the second session at night. We had dancing! :-) Four DTS students from Kona, Hawaii also felt led to perform the haka, which was deeply symbolic. It was not a performance but something they felt God had wanted them to do during the worship session. When they were doing the haka, the atmosphere was so moving - like there was the tearing down of spiritual strongholds and many breakthroughs. I could hardly pen down in words the awesomeness of that day, but am truly humbled and thankful to God that His presence was with us in such an amazing, holy and glorious way. I wanted to record it here so that I am always reminded that God showed Himself in a powerful way that day.
Lord, you are awesome, and I serve you. Wow. What an honour, what a privilege, what a life. Thank you, Lord.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Three different equations
Grace - Discipline = Indulgence
Discipline - Grace = Condemnation
Grace + Discipline = Love
Discipline - Grace = Condemnation
Grace + Discipline = Love
Sunday, November 13, 2011
What it takes to follow Jesus
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you
A card I received during the recent counselling retreat in Kuala Lumpur. Will meditate on it and memorise the verse.
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Friday, November 4, 2011
Trust in the Lord
"Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don't try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he's the one who will keep you on track."
- Proverbs 3:5-6 (The Message)
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