Unlikely Soccer Win on the Wings of Prayer

"All Glory Be To God!" for this testimony I am about to share. Personally, it has encouraged me to know that God listens to prayers and that prayer can make all the difference. Yes, it would be transformational to know and experience God in everyday life, as Dr A R Bernard puts it.

Also, I would like to add that although I do pray regularly, I do not usually receive an inexplicable prayer burden, compulsion, provocation or assignment. And, of course, God would send this spirit of prayer to as many persons as He desires.

However, when such a spirit of prayer comes, I find that it is both a very calm assurance, that surpasses understanding, and a confidence that what is prayed for will come to pass. For example, the prayer for the haze to dissipate from Singapore in an earlier blog post on 22 June 2013.

Well, on the evening of 23 May 2015, I was having dinner at home and glancing at the Malaysian FA Cup final between Kelantan and Singapore on television which my sister-in-law was watching avidly. 

I used to watch soccer games on television regularly but has gotten myself unhooked after countless disappointments with the teams that I fancy and finding that a soccer match which lasts 115 minutes, including half-time, is a time-stealer. In order to stay in the know, occasionally, I would just read the outcome of matches as reported in the newspaper.

Faris Ramli scored for Singapore around the 7th minute accompanied by the shouts and cheers stemming from the neighbouring flats. However, Kelantan was clearly the stronger team and they launched waves after waves of attacks. Singapore defended as best as they could with goalkeeper, Izwan Mahbud, having to pull off many superlative saves.

After dinner I did my share of housework by sweeping the floor and glanced at the ongoing match occasionally, but things were really looking downhill for Singapore. By the by, Kelantan equalised around the 60th minute as can be heard from the television. I did not bother to look as I hate to see the despair of Singapore players and fans alike.

With the floor swept, I then proceeded to take my shower. While showering the spirit of prayer came upon me in the knowledge that with God all things are possible, and I began to pray that Singapore will defend stoutly, that there will be a turnaround and the players will be filled with courage and confidence to play their game and score another goal. But, the win had to be convincing, also, I reckoned. Winning by a goal would not be so convincing.

Then, I received by faith a visualised 3-1 incredible scoreline for Singapore. What a stretch that would be for the vanquishing to emerge as a winner notwithstanding that it would be such a sweet celebration for Singapore's 50th year of independence. 

Shortly after, it happened. I heard shouts and cheers from the neighbourhood. It could only mean that Singapore had scored a second goal against all odds. Not long after, there was another round of triumph overheard. I scrambled for the bathroom door and headed for the living room. There, I saw a replay of Sahil Suhaimi scoring from the penalty spot. Hard to believe, but the weak became strong and triumphed 3-1!

We are to glory only in the LORD God Almighty. With Him, all things are possible. "...and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; (1 Corinthians 1:27; NKJV)."

“You are worthy, O Lord,

To receive glory and honor and power;

For You created all things,

And by Your will they exist and were created.” (Revelation 4:11; NKJV)

"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord!: (Psalm 150:6; NKJV)

"The Love of God" by Frederick M. Lehman (1868 - 1953)

For your contemplation on the magnitude of God's love, the third stanza of "The Love of God" is highlighted below:-

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

"And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen." John 21:25 (NKJV)

Click on the following YouTube clip uploaded by Bob Marshall and be blessed as you listen to Shelley Jennings sing The Love of God:- 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0Vp3XQ__-w

What is the Sign of Jonah?

When we think of Jonah, we can't help but associate him with a great fish that swallowed him and the closest plausible sea creature we have sighted would be a whale.

God had an assignment for prophet Jonah. “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.”  But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. Jonah 1:2,3 (NKJV)"

As the ship set sail, the LORD sent a violent storm which threatened to shatter the ship. The crew cast lots to determine who may had caused this calamity and the lot fell on Jonah. Still, they rowed as hard as they could to bring the ship to shore, but the tempest worsened. They prayed for God's mercy to spare their lives and, as a last resort, threw Jonah into the sea, and then the storm ceased.

"Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Jonah 1:17 (NKJV)"

Fast forward to the New Testament, Jesus Christ was pressed for a sign of from heaven. "Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Matthew 12:39, 40 (NKJV)"

In 2010 a gray whale was spotted off Herzliya Marina, which is part of the Jaffa or Tel Aviv district as per the following report by BBC:-

Mediterranean gray whale appears 'back from the dead'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8672000/8672970.stm 

And, Joppa is modern day Jaffa or Tel Aviv and also known as Japho, Joppe, el-Qal'a, 'Yafa, Yafa el-'Atiqa, Yafo) as sourced from the following link:-

http://www.bibleplaces.com/joppa.htm

What do we make of all these? 

I would say that we have already seen the sign of Jonah when Jesus was crucified, dead and buried for three days and three night just as Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. 

As for  the sighting of the whale, scientists believe that it could be due to climatic changes and/or that the whales are retracing their ancient routes and returning to their former haunts across the Atlantic Ocean.

Still, it is exciting that the fish that swallowed Jonah has finally been transferred out of the pages of the Holy Bible and Sunday Schools onto newspapers, mass media and scientific journals, and into the public domain.

God is Almighty! He sent the storm, He sent the fish, and He sent His Son!!!