How many times do we stop in a day to hear the voice of the spirit?
How often when we hear or are prompted by the Holy Spirit that we stop and obey?
How many times we fear that we have heard wrongly
Maybe it's myself, or is this really from God?
How many..........
How to..........
How is it possible .........???
Questions upon questions, and many a times, still questions, rather than answers.
I realise that I've ignored God's voice at times, without realising, until much later - and it's all because of all these above questions, and "self-rationalisation". In the recent organising of Oceania Convention, I thank God for teaching me this lesson to be led by His Spirit. And it is really by His grace and strength that I have chosen to let go, and let the Spirit guide. On 2 occasions, I have learned to let the Spirit direct.
Firstly, it was a strong prompting, since the start of the year, to remember to put God as the centre of the event and the organising aspect. I was quite caught up with tasks to do, emails piling up, head and brain space becoming clogged up and "BANG" in one of my quiet times, God rebuked and reminded me that I can't do it without Him - that simple principle (something I've known all along) struck and awoke me to "Spirit-reality". And John 15:5 was my foundation.
Since then, I started fasting, praying, encouraging my committee members to be in tune with God. Got intercessors to pray, and in my heart, I felt a release of His Spirit. I was reminded by the Spirit of God, that the success of OC, is not just good orgainisng, good flow, good program, good planning and etc...... but the success of OC will be that all would be ministered by His (God's) presence and grace.
I must say that it was hard to shift the perspective that the success of a event is measured through spiritual matters (which you can't quite quantify). I was very stuck in the mentality of trying not to make a loss, and ensuring that we provide quality service and program and that all is well-organised. God had to really pour His presence and grace in my life to challenge me to understand His heart in this OC.
That was 1 hurdle - but praise God that He helped me to keep coming back into His presence. The 2nd thing was a prompting one night, before I slept, I felt the urge to check the original contract that I signed with GCCEC over about 8 months ago. It was funny, cos I didn't look at that for a really long time. I checked it in the morning (the morning before OC started), and realised that the updated event contract had a different amount from the original contract signed (as in they have over-charged us on the food & beverage costs). I rang up GCCEC and told them about it, and they later got back to me, that it was their over-sight, and so Praise God again, the cost is much lower than I expected it to be.
These are my personal testimonies; But it is so vital to learn and grow in being led by the Spirit - no matter what it is that we do - and this is not hard if we just desire to seek God wholeheartedly, in all things.
"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jer 29:13
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Weakness and productivity
In the perspectives of the world today, it seems wise that weakness and productivity does not mix. When there is weakness, there is no productivity. Is that really the case? Is that what is on your mind as well?
How can weakness becomes productive? On what basis do one work upon to overcome the very fact that weakness is possibly failure, and weakness is not something we develop upon. But I'm not convinced, especially when I look at apostle Paul's life. The thorn in his flesh, is like a weakness in Him, and many times, he has urged the believers to turn back to the source of strength - which is God.
Weakness produces dependence - dependence, reliance not on the things of self, achievements, capabilities or stuff, but it is dependence and reliance in God, in who God is, in the power of God, of which (to us) is incomprehensible, and unimaginable. That's why at times, seems so hard to trust. But the 2 scriptures below hopefully encourages us to keep trusting God.
2 Cor 4:7-9 "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."
2 Cor 4:16-18 " 16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
Over 2009, it seems like this is what God has been showing me. I don't boast about my strength, but rather, I am taken to see the weaknesses in my own life. The year of looking at weaknesses brings me to a point of desperation before God, to ask for more of Him in my life. It felt like a long year of been incapable (maybe even incapacitated) to lead, to do the things of God. Many times when I look at my weakness, I don't feel like doing it anymore, but "faithfulness" is a concept or perhaps more so a conviction, that has pushed me to continue doing it, not for anything, but for God. I was reading a book "Jesus" by Charles Swindoll, and when reading about what Jesus went through at the Garden of Gethsemane, I realise that the pain and temptations that He has to go through is way more than how one can ever imagine. And for Him to be able to say "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will but as You will" (Matthew 26:39). My heart at that very point, just felt that if Jesus has gone through all that, he's probably able to understand all my weaknesses, and how I felt through all of it. Even the temptation of giving it up, Jesus have felt it too.
It seems like it is one's choice to live out 2 Cor 4:16-18 (as above). I have concluded 2009 with that scripture, and I am determined to keep living it out (as per 2 Cor 4:16-18) for 2010 and years ever after. I pray that God will humble me to always be reminded 2 things : Do not lose heart; and Keep my eyes on Him, on the eternal things of God (which I do not see with my physical eyes) - it requires a faith response !
How can weakness becomes productive? On what basis do one work upon to overcome the very fact that weakness is possibly failure, and weakness is not something we develop upon. But I'm not convinced, especially when I look at apostle Paul's life. The thorn in his flesh, is like a weakness in Him, and many times, he has urged the believers to turn back to the source of strength - which is God.
Weakness produces dependence - dependence, reliance not on the things of self, achievements, capabilities or stuff, but it is dependence and reliance in God, in who God is, in the power of God, of which (to us) is incomprehensible, and unimaginable. That's why at times, seems so hard to trust. But the 2 scriptures below hopefully encourages us to keep trusting God.
2 Cor 4:7-9 "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."
2 Cor 4:16-18 " 16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
Over 2009, it seems like this is what God has been showing me. I don't boast about my strength, but rather, I am taken to see the weaknesses in my own life. The year of looking at weaknesses brings me to a point of desperation before God, to ask for more of Him in my life. It felt like a long year of been incapable (maybe even incapacitated) to lead, to do the things of God. Many times when I look at my weakness, I don't feel like doing it anymore, but "faithfulness" is a concept or perhaps more so a conviction, that has pushed me to continue doing it, not for anything, but for God. I was reading a book "Jesus" by Charles Swindoll, and when reading about what Jesus went through at the Garden of Gethsemane, I realise that the pain and temptations that He has to go through is way more than how one can ever imagine. And for Him to be able to say "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will but as You will" (Matthew 26:39). My heart at that very point, just felt that if Jesus has gone through all that, he's probably able to understand all my weaknesses, and how I felt through all of it. Even the temptation of giving it up, Jesus have felt it too.
It seems like it is one's choice to live out 2 Cor 4:16-18 (as above). I have concluded 2009 with that scripture, and I am determined to keep living it out (as per 2 Cor 4:16-18) for 2010 and years ever after. I pray that God will humble me to always be reminded 2 things : Do not lose heart; and Keep my eyes on Him, on the eternal things of God (which I do not see with my physical eyes) - it requires a faith response !
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