a time for worship

Get it right, the focus

aim well, not the enemy

there is a source of rhema , the way of God far above man’s

a way forward , a penetration of victory

it may be a David, it may a type of Jehoshaphat

see a little Nehemiah walking among the ruins

there an Ezra, in the window Daniel is praying, Esther is fasting

sometimes a sword, at times a word, angels over a city, a country

I worship God the Father of us all

the God of this city. the mighty arm of God guide us

I see the blood of Jesus washing over men and women, pain and hate unmasked, deep wounds of a nations divided by politicians and devils

planting crosses on green lawns of Taiping and over the rolling hills

sipping communion wines in secret doors and silence candles

the dead buried in wrong graves

many still say

and will still declare

You are God

Allah and 3 churches in malaysia

There are forces at work behind the scenes, beyond the political masters and rhetoric. Some people think this is an issue to gain political capital. Some people think being a good muslim is to defend to use of the word Allah for their God. Are there other gods? Is corruption and lying and adultery more acceptable than this? Is defending one’s beliefs and religion more important than practicing what the Lord commands?

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness.

If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.

For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all. Paul said, ” Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.”

Lord I pray for mercy and light because there is much ignorance and unbelief. He who practices hate and revenge, fire and jihad, let him see the log in his own eye.  Pray for unity among churches, pastors and christians: a strong bond of love and support and a rising up of prayer , and spiritual eyes to be opened so that leaders and intercessors can see beyond what is obvious, beyond the flesh and blood to the powers and principalities. Let walls fall and hearts open. Tears in eyes and repentance in the hearts – bring a fresh anointing of love and humility among churches and among muslims, a sense of reckoning and a desire to seek true religion  (James 2), to help orphans and widows…

rest

rest

because you do not need to prove anything

rest because

Christ has done all for you

rest

because you have been born again

rest.

Pray

because you know the Father is at work.

Pray because the Son

Holy One is interceding still. In Him

Pray because

He is hearing your prayers and silent cries.

because

we do not battle with flesh , blood and the obvious things.

pray and watch.

and sow

because the seed is very capable

sow

because if we don’t , we do not reap

even if it takes months and years

rest

assured. God will give the growth.

Lord , open doors to muslim hearts in malaysia and singapore. Let the Allah word victory be the beginnings of open doors and open minds.

focus

I am easily distracted; attracted by many things wonderful and intriguing. Anxieties creep in and what ifs pile up at the back of the conscious mind. Regrets and fears add to the tally. Hobbies like carpentry and wood carving, painting and writing call to their shores. I realise while I have done many things, I have not done one thing well , well enough. Walk with God and not outrun him or go off at a tangent because of some curious glimmer that caught my eye.

Lately God has been saying to let anxieties lie. And I let them, and listen to the Lord, He has been showing me that things do follow that ” all things work for good according to His plan and calling.” Worry add to the burden of living. Rest in God and in His work. As we participate in his work of redemption and intercession, we need to work it out because God is at work..both to will and to work according to his good pleasure. We work out our salvation with fear and trembling ( and bold faith) ; we need to serve the Lord from the same attitude , that He is first preeminently at work and we are called to co-labor with Him, the Lord of the harvest.

Lord work out your harvest in the malay man, woman and child, the teenager searching for acceptance and neglected families and divorced women, the lonely , the poor and the ill. The addicts and the abused. Send out more workers O lord. Call clearly. Give us tools and gifts for the harvest. Do not send us out empty handed. Go with us in your mighty reassuring presence. Man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness of God. So in 2010, no anger , no human frustration, just prayer and love and going into families and communities. Lord be glorified.

Grieving in Zion

If we grieve , let us grieve in Zion. Isaiah 61:3. If we are crying, let’s cry unto the Lord. Because He is good, kind and merciful. He gives grace to the humble, but opposes the proud. He has said, ” I will never leave you nor forsake you” . Hebrews 13 resonates this to us. We are not orphans in the Lord but we are his child , who still live in this world even though we are not of this world. And we will never be of this world – its dna, its goals, its materialism, its foundations…we will never fit in.

Lord let 2010 be a fruitful year , let it be a year of abiding in Jesus, I will trust your pruning in order that I may bear more fruit, I will walk in the Lord and pray in the Spirit-build my most holy faith (Jude).  Continue to touch and work in muslim hearts. Let seeds be sown. Let hearts be opened. seedlings, roots and stems grow. Let your servants be wise as serpents, innocent as doves.  Lord work especially among malay teenagers – there is a lostness, a despair and much identity searching among them – let them find you as we have found you. So we grieve in prayer and in Zion, we yearn for your glory, for your salvation.

What we promise God..what God promises us..

Every year we start afresh. We look back and count the times we’ve fallen, stumbled, conquered mountains and hills, seen God’s hand, felt his presence, moved by His Spirit. In the last few months of 2009, God has been lifting me up to see from his perspective and I’m learning to feel less anxious, less worried and less upset by hiccups, potholes and hindrances. A little less needing to control and a little less worrying when I am not. It is good, says the Lord. Romans 8:28 is true.

Often in the past, when things are not ideal or do not fall according to my plan, I get irritated: I push, shove, shout, sulk , feel discouraged. I react. And I am talking about spiritual and earthly things. But if we walk with God and bad things happen, or things don’t go according to plan, perhaps consider that it may be the Lord’s timing or His hand in it- it may be divine appointment. You may touch a soul, the pause may give you a better vantage or just a needed break from the deadening routine. It may be a teachable moment. Don’t miss God’s voice at those times ; he may be getting your attention. I may be dreaming of revivals ; God may just want me to spend time praying for my family.

God’s ways are not our ways. But His work of redemption for ourselves, for the fallen world and for the muslim community will culminate positively  in Revelation’s great victory and harvest. His work is not dying or abating.

Lord come into my life and make me a fisher of man , together with many brothers and sisters who are called by your name and live by your blood. I am foolish and cowardly, and I need your discipling – just as you taught John and Andrew how to fish and minister , can you teach me, show me by Your Spirit?To  heal just as you heal? love just as you love? I’m tired of religion and religiosity ; propaganda and commercialism – let us, Christians and Muslims see you Lord Jesus, and know you  !

the last dash for the old year

It’s the time of the year when we remember the year that is passing, look back with a little more honesty and resolve to run better, to pray better. Grace is a funny thing ; it can touch the vilest person and miss the average decent guy whom you think should not go to hell. Heb 12 : 15 reminds us ” not to miss the grace of God”. Strangely, it is not the prodigal son who will miss grace because he is so aware of his shame and sin: it is the elder son syndrome, the wronged one, the religious keeper, the offended servant of God who stumbles at grace having walk the road of discipleship many years and thinking that he is a better person – he thanks God that he is not like other sinners, he is not beating his chest over his small sins. Religion does that to you ; Hurt does that to you ; being at the receiving end of offense does that to you. You see yourself as hurt, maligned and stepped on. But Grace covers all with a healing balm, cleansing, releasing, renewing – Grace is for our sin and for the sin done to us.

There is grace for all of us but only the hungry, guilty, thirsty partake of it. I am a sinner still. This Christmas Lord Jesus may your grace speak light and kindness to those who are hurting and who hurt in return. To those who want to avenge and kill. May many muslims who are hurt or maligned find love and healing in you O Lord. It is always easier to kill steal and destroy. God took six days to create goodness and beauty and purpose ;  the evil one killed all that in one day when Adam sinned. It is hard, Lord ,to plow the ground, sow the seed, watch the field , reap the harvest. It is hard to build, encourage and to grow but Lord give us who are called by your name to continue your work, redeeming the time and the pain, the twistedness of bondage and blindness. This Christmas may your grace seep in , like a Lamb, into cold hearts, hurting hearts, bitter hearts and speak your words of Life. Give them visions of your grace, the touch of your hands, the promise of your Spirit. We need Pentecost because we are blind and weak like Peter. We need the Damascus vision because we are angry and religious like Saul. We need the vision on Patmos because we have forgotten that we serve a risen King, the Mighty Lamb in the midst of our trials and tribulations. Lord Jesus maranatha!

this is gonna be my prayer journal

I finally decided (and I hope I’m right) that I’m going to write out my prayers for muslims especially muslims in malaysia as well as the orang asli (indigenous people ) of Malaysia. I have been nursing a burden for them for many years, praying intermittently , at times feeling lost , frustrated, passionately , other times in despair over what I read in the papers. But the years have not wore me down. I am a little less lost and emotional now; a little wiser to see beyond the news and to read between the lines. God is at work among the muslims especially in the Middle East and Indonesia. I see his handiwork. I will intercede every day here and write out my prayers as a remembrance , a memorial of what he will do.

God , you have been my resting place for this journey. I have been a fool , a child who did not understand and a youth who fluctuated in his emotions. But I believe in You, the God who loves the malays, the orang asli : the God of mountains and valleys: the God who called Saul. Work out your salvation among the malays . I pray for Fariq who has been having spiritual attacks that you will deliver him and lead him to you. Give to them dreams and visions , because they have a cloud and a veil over them. Let them turn to you and have the veil removed. Let the name of Jesus , prophet and Son of God, word of God be honoured among the malay muslims. Let not the teachers blind them to how even the Koran exalts Jesus as the holy one. Let them fear your name.

Raise up workers to go into the villages and communities. Workers who know how to plant, sow and harvest. workers who work among the poor and down trodden. workers among the neglected and oppressed orang asli; workers among drug addicts and teenage gangs …

Sustain in me a willing spirit and help me see, understand and grow in intercession for I am unable, weak and very shaky. Teach me how to pray O Lord. I believe.

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!