Hee! That reminds me! Pastor Jo preached a very touching and encouraging sermon yesterday. One thing that he preached struck me: as Jesus talked to THINGS (e.g. fevers, trees, stormy weather and even dead men), likewise we too can talk to THINGS in His name.
Wow! That was so surprising, 'cos it's not every day that a pastor tells you to talk to THINGS. :P But we talk to things, because we believe in a God of miracles.
He also shared how the Lord spoke to him through an email devotional when his daughter had been repeatedly falling sick for a few months. That's how he learnt about the fact that Jesus spoke not only to men, but to THINGS as if they were alive. So he and his wife prayed for their daughter, and as he rebuked the fever in Jesus' name, the fever subsided underneath his hand. He doublechecked to make sure, and yes, the fever did go away.
And yes, it's not an isolated incident. 'Cos last year, on the last day of 2007, Sharon had a high fever. 38 degrees, to be precise. (She brought her own thermometer along.) So we prayed for her. The moment we prayed, "Amen", Sharon started sweating immediately! :) And she took her own temperature... whoa, the numbers were falling right underneath our eyes over a period of half an hour.
I'd like to say that she was completely healed at that moment, but the fever returned after that. But thank God that the fever went away long enough for her to stay for the entire unit prayer meeting, otherwise she'd not be able to even come.
So God indeed is good, He indeed is faithful. :D
Deuteronomy 32:3-4
I will proclaim the name of the LORD.
Oh, praise the greatness of our God!
He is the Rock, his works are perfect,
and all his ways are just.
A faithful God who does no wrong,
upright and just is he.
And oh yes! After the sermon, Qixiong and I were walking to the soccer field at Yishun for our soccer match. As we were walking there, we felt drizzle, and the looming clouds promised yet another mud-bath.
But remembering Ps Jo's sermon, I asked God to drive away the rain clouds, that it wouldn't rain throughout the entire match. Then, just for good measure, I spoke to the clouds (in front of an amused Qixiong) to tell them to go away.
And yes, the clouds gathered around the field but not over the field. Maybe the angels wanted to watch the soccer match too... XD
Thank God, not only for the rain-free (and mud-free) soccer match that day, but also for His answering my prayer. That encourages me to trust God for even bigger things that are even more important. Jesus taught us to pray to God persistently when our prayers don't get answered.
Finally, I'm encouraged also by the prophecy that May Hong prayed over me when I responded to the altar call yesterday. I responded, because I wanted God to stretch and renew my mindset, to be more joyful and full of faith, not negative or faithless.
The prophecy was a vision of a desert. But in the desert, an oasis sprung up. So likewise the Lord will bring about an oasis, a spring of joy. Wow! That's really my heart's desire - 'cos I don't just want joy for myself - I want to share this joy of the Lord with all those around me, both in the church and outside the church!
Jesus is so so good! Amen! :D
O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
His love endures forever!
A dear friend of mine is currently going through a difficult time. To this dear friend, you're in my prayers... and even WHEN I forget to pray for you, the Bible reminds us that Christ is at the right hand of God and is constantly interceding for you and me. And no situation is ever able to stop Him from pleading your case before the righteous Father.
Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love
34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.
35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”)
37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Dear Lord, these words of Yours are so beautiful. Please help me memorise this passage and recall, speak them aloud to myself, whenever I am tempted to feel down or frustrated or worried or disappointed.
Oh yes, one more thing. Think one of the most important points Ps Jo told us is that one of the things that we are to speak the Word of God to is none other than OURSELVES. That's exactly what Hong Teck told me too! And Peter and ... a lot of other bros. Hmm. I see a pattern here.
Ah, Mr. Yeu Ann. Hurry up and be a man, for God's sake.
Encourage yourself the next time you start panicking again. Whenever the devil shoots you with the flaming arrows of negative thoughts, stand, take cover and return fire by proclaiming the Word of God - don't run away! Got that? And very soon, Jesus'll make a man out of you. ;)
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