Does God Answer Prayers?

The following sermon notes are sourced, with adaptation, from Rev Bobby Chaw's preaching from the Book of Numbers, Chapter 16, at City Harvest Church on 24 November 2018.

In English the fourth book of the Holy Bible is called the Book of Numbers as it began with God's command to take a census of all the congregation of Israelites.

However, in Hebrews it is known by the key word of its first sentence, Bemidbar, which means "in the wilderness" of Sinai where God gave the aforesaid command.

In Numbers 16:1, Korah, Dathan and Abiram and other leaders numbering two hundred and fifty started a rebellion against Moses and Aaron. Consequently, God instructed Moses and Aaron to stand apart from among this congregation which He is slating for destruction.

However, these two priests of the LORD "... fell on their faces, and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and You be angry with all the congregation""(Numbers 16:22 NKJV)?

The ringleaders and their households were swallowed up by the ground which had split open and then closed after they had fallen in. 

In a second rebellion (v. 41), all the surviving congregation turned against Moses and Aaron. "And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.” Again they fell on their faces" (Numbers 16:44, 45 NKJV).

"So Moses said to Aaron, “Take a censer and put fire in it from the altar, put incense on it, and take it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from the Lord. The plague has begun.” Then Aaron took it as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and already the plague had begun among the people. So he put in the incense and made atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living; so the plague was stopped" (Numbers 16: 46-48 NKJV).

Prayer makes a difference. It stops death and safeguards life. 

Pray for your enemies and those who mistreat you. "“But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you" (Luke 6: 27-28 NKJV).

The incense are the prayers of the saints . "Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints"(Revelation 5:8 NKJV). 

Prayers make the difference. Prayer is the greatest outlet of power.  

The Holy Spirit is our inlet of power. ""But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth"" (Acts 1:8 NKJV).

In order for us to be an outlet for the power of the Holy Spirit in us, we need to yield to Him and be led by Him rather than treat Him like a temporary guest.

There are 4 outlet of power:

1. Our Life

"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13 NKJV). Our lives are more powerful than our serving. 

2. Our Lips

"And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God" (1 Corinthians 2:4-5 NKJV).

3. Our Services to People

""But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many”" (Matthew 20:25-28 NKJV).

"how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him" (Acts 10:38 NKJV).

Our services to people, the Jesus' Way, is matter of Faith and Power instead of face and powder. 

4. Our Prayers

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV).

We can do nothing of power until we have done the prayer thing. 

Prayer is not the only thing, it is the first thing we do. Our lives are empowered through prayers. 

"When He came to the place, He said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.”" (Luke 22:40 NKJV)

When we pray, Heavenly help comes. "And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed,... Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him (Luke 22:41-43 NKJV). 

Keep praying always. "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak" Ephesians 6:18-20 NKJV).

Our services are empowered through prayers. "Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me, that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints," (Romans 15:30-31 NKJV)

"The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing" (Psalm 34: 10 NKJV).

God still answers prayers. Rev Bobby then went on to share from George Muller's memoir concerning the orphanage ministry through which Muller sought to demonstrate that God will provide for the ministry through the power of prayer alone -- to prove that God answers prayers. He had a bigger mission to magnify that God answers prayers than just caring for the orphans. 

One highlight is the rhema word which Muller received from the LORD on 5 December 1835, namely: "I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it" (Psalm 81:10 KJV). 

Click here to read a biography of George Muller.

Then Rev Bobby shared a moving testimony by a Taiwanese pastor of how his parents finally came to the LORD, dramatically, after much prayers. You can catch this once the YouTube clip of this sermon is ready for me to include in this blog.

Prayer makes a difference. Don’t allow circumstances to beset you. Prayer is not an option, it is required. 

""If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”" (Luke 11:13 NKJV)

"And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness"(Acts 4:31 NKJV).

In conclusion, does God answer prayers? The answer is: Yes! Yes! Yes!

Do You Really, Really Believe That GOD Is Good?

The following notes are adapted from Rev Sun Ho's sermon on Faith v.s. Reality at City Harvest Church 10 November 2018 where she shared a life-transforming revelation of God's goodness such as His desire to heal us of all infirmities and sicknesses. 

"His fame spread everywhere! Many people who were in pain and suffering with every kind of illness were brought to Jesus for their healing—epileptics, paralytics, and those tormented by demonic powers were all set free. Everyone who was brought to Jesus was healed!" Matthew 4:24 (TPT)

Everyone who was brought to Jesus was healed. Only believe. Our level of faith has everything to do with our encounter with God. Faith is directly related to our revelation of the goodness of God.

In Psalm 27:13 (NASB), King David confessed, "I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." 

David's life was full of challenges. He was the youngest boy in the family and was tasked to look after sheep away from the comfort of home. When he defeated Goliath, King Saul was envious and sought to kill David. His trouble did not cease when he was coronated as king. He lost his first child with Bathsheba and one of his son, Absalom, attempted a coup to take David's throne. Through it all, David believed that he will see the goodness of God in his lifetime.

Such was David's faith in God, notwithstanding the struggles he had to face, that he was able to affirm, "Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases," (Psalm 103:1-3; NKJV)

Jesus fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy as “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses." (Matthew 8:17; NKJV) Infirmities refer to physical and mental weaknesses, frailty, feebleness, impairment, disability, ailments, illness, and the like.

The following are part of the commandments Jesus gave to His twelve disciples, "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give." (Matthew 10:8; NKJV)

Would Jesus have mentioned all these works of miracles if God is bereft of the power to deliver? Of course, God has the power to perform miracles in addition to delivering us from the power of sin (which is death).  

In reality, we have prayed for the sick but not all have been healed. 

How do we navigate this tension of faith versus reality? We do not have all the answers. Some deep things of God will remain in the realm of mystery until we have a revelation. They are hidden for us to discover.

"It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter." (Proverbs 25:2; NKJV)

In Mark 8:22-25 the blind man saw men like trees. He needed to contend for more from Jesus so as to see men as men with clarity. We need to persist in our prayer like prophet Elijah who prayed for rain.

In Mark 9:14-29 a father brought his child who was tormented by a mute spirit to Jesus for healing. ""Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”" (Mark 9:23-24; NKJV)

The disciples could not cast out the death and dumb spirit. Jesus explained that this type comes out only by prayer and fasting. Depths of intimacy with the Father has caused Jesus to access the realms of heaven. 

The degree of faith demonstrated by us is dependent upon revelations through encounters. 

We stop praying because we stop believing God. You have stopped praying because you have stopped believing in the goodness of God based on your circumstances rather than faith in God-- that God loves you and loves to bless you. 

Neither God nor His Word has changed. Won't we draw nearer to Him and contend for more of Him in our life as His royal sons and daughters? 

"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord,  I will be joyful in God my Savior." -- Habakkuk 3:17-18 (NIV) 

In 2 Chronicles 20:21 - 22 the people rejoices in the LORD and God defeated their enemies for them. 

Find strength in your heart to praise and worship Him. You cannot go to war where you have not gone into intimacy with God. 

When Jesus died on the cross the veil of the temple of God was torn in two so that we can come into intimacy with God. 

It is our privilege and honor to have intimacy with God. (Do you see this open revelation of the extent of God's goodness?! Or, do you get more excited when you have direct access to an earthly Who's Who than God Himself?) 

How we treat or honour God is a reflection of the worth we ascribe to Him. (Do you cheer more for your favourite team in the sports arena than the King of Kings and Lord of Lords in church?)

Coming to church is a privilege to enter into a place of engagement with God. It is an honour to minister to God personally. When we are in deep communion with God, the result is spiritual authority. And, we will begin to do more and more of the kind of miracles that Jesus did. 

Let us build heaven’s culture of His Presence; a culture of faith in this House of God. Miracles demonstrate the love of the God the Father. Contend for more of God’s Kingdom and His goodness.

Note: Will be posting the link to YouTube once the sermon has been uploaded. It will remove whatever lingering doubts you have concerning the goodness of God when the reality is not aligned with His assured goodness yet.

Meanwhile, click here for CityWorship - Worship With Us playlist to spur you on to honour God with praise and worship.

  

Flourish In The Courts Of Our God

"The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. Psalm 92:12-13 (NKJV)"

This evening, Psalm 92:12 took me aside like a burning bush and I ended up memorising it and verse 13, as well. I know not how then, but this particular serving of God's Word became alive to me and prompted me to meditate upon them. They became like heavenly bread for my spirit man.

Here then is a timely refresher for me from my desk calendar that it is the Holy Spirit who quickens the Word of God to become living and active: "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. John 6:63 (NKJV)"

The righteous obeys the voice of God like a sheep that follows the Good Shepherd. By his action, the upright shows that he reveres and trusts the Word of God.

The flourishing of the righteous is like a palm tree which, according the the Amplified Bible translation, is "long-lived, upright and useful". A date palm, for instance, is known to be capable of reaching a height of over 20 metre with  a primary root system that averages 4-metre deep and may extend further downward to 10 metre. 

The righteous is steep in his love for God's Word as both a hearer and doer as well as deep in His fellowship with God. 

In turn, this is how God has responded to him: "Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. Psalm 91:14 (NKJV)"

As for the cedar tree, the Amplified Bible speaks of it being "majestic and stable". The righteous keeps growing in wisdom, stature, grace and the knowledge of God. He knows whom he has believeth and is confident that God is able to keep him in perfect peace internally.

The righteous person is rooted in a congregation of believers for edification and mutual relationship to advance the kingdom of God. With such unity of fellowship, there God commanded His Blessing in accordance to His Word such as the following:

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord commanded the blessing— Life forevermore. Psalm 133;1-3 (NKJV)"

""Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:19-20 (NKJV)"

The earthly courts are no match for the courts of God -- where we appear in the Presence of the King of kings and LORD of lords. 

God is awesome and His works are awesome, too!

Consider the following:

"And I said: “I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned. Nehemiah 1:5-6 (NKJV)"

"Say to God, “How awesome are Your works! Through the greatness of Your power Your enemies shall submit themselves to You. Psalm 66:3 (NKJV)"

May you flourish in the courts of our God as you feed on His Word daily, clothe yourself with the righteousness of Christ, confess your sins and be a hearer-and-doer of God's Word.

The Beginning of Wisdom

The usual quote on 'the fear of LORD is the beginning of wisdom' is taken from the Book of Wisdom, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding (Proverbs 9:10; NKJV)."

Today's reading from Psalm 111:10 (NKJV) is a refreshing take: 

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever."

Photo by Tyler Nix on Unsplash

When we humbly recognise our lack of wisdom, we can ask God for heavenly wisdom (James 1:5). 

However, having due reverence and honour for God would be the first step we need to take in order to be wise; not in our eyes but in God's sight. 

As we walk in the ways of God such as heeding His commandments, which God has in His infinite wisdom established to be non-negotiables from the very beginning, we show that we have a good grasp of what is good for us.

Even when we are not conscious of the divine edicts of God, we are blessed when we do them, and we begin to learn and understand the will of God as we see the favourable outcomes of our good conduct.

"The [reverent] fear of the Lord is the beginning (the prerequisite, the absolute essential, the alphabet) of wisdom; a good understanding and a teachable heart are possessed by all those who do the will of the Lord; His praise endures forever (Psalm 111:10; AMP)."

As the blessings of wisdom in fearing and obeying the LORD's guidance become established as a lifestyle, we can't help but be full of praise and thanksgiving unto God.

Indeed, "The good life begins in the fear of God— do that and you’ll know the blessing of God. His Hallelujah lasts forever (Psalm 111:10; MSG)!"

For your further rumination, please study and meditate the following Scriptural passages as well:

"And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding’ Job 28:28 (NKJV).”

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother; for they will be a graceful ornament on your head, and chains about your neck. My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent (Proverbs 1:7-10; NKJV)."

The Presence of God

While people in the world talks about the usual things such as finding your tribe, the good ol' days, politics, fashion, sales and so forth, the tribe of the Lion of Judah (aka Christians) gets to recount passionately about the Presence of God which they have experienced in church, cell group, Christian conference and personal time with God.

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

The Presence of God is like heaven on earth where we can see and believe that all the Promises of God are indeed "Yes" and "Amen".

Recently, while reading "Becoming Aggressive About Your Harvest" by Dr. Jerry Savelle, I received a fresh revelation that being in God's Presence is like a two-fold blessing of experiencing not just His tangible reality but, also, the dissipation of all evil and whatever hindrances that come against our walk of faith, hitherto.

The particular extract from Dr. Savelle's blog post is as follows for your edification:-

"This is what the Psalmist was saying when he declared, “My enemies will fall back and perish in your presence.” (Psalm 9:3 TLB)

I like to say it this way: Every assignment of your adversary is broken when you stand in the presence of God. When the presence of God shows up on the scene, every attack of the enemy must cease."

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Don't settle for the last row in church. Gather unto the LORD with expectancy, come hungry spiritually and press in for the Presence of God; touch the hem of His robe.

Click here for Becoming Aggressive About Your Harvest by Dr. Jerry Savelle

Click here for I Love Your Presence/I Remember - Annabel Soh

Kingdom Attitude of Faith

The following is a skeletal sermon notes based on Rev. Bobby Chaw's preaching of "Kingdom Attitude of Faith" at City Harvest Church on 1 September 2018, with adaptation.

In Numbers 13, Moses obeyed God's command to send out twelve spies (one leader from each of the twelve tribes of Israel) to check out Canaan -- the very Promised Land the LORD intended to give to them.

After exploring for forty days, the spies came back and reported their fact findings to Moses: “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan (Numbers 13:27b - 29; NKJV).”

There were Good News accompanied by Bad News. It was indeed a land flowing with milk and honey; they even brought back fruits such as a giant cluster of grapes as well as pomegranates and figs. 

However, there were  some problems. Such is the  reality of life; Promises come with challenges or hindrances. "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you (1 Peter 4:12; NKJV);"

The key to your victory and destiny is: How will you respond?

"Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it” (Numbers 13:30; NKJV)."

Alas, the other ten spies (excluding Joshua) started mythologising Canaan with a made-up bad report to dissuade the people. "And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight" (Numbers 13:32-33; NKJV)."

Whatever you focus on grows. Fear causes the people to forget the purpose of their journey. They even forgot their freedom from slavery. Fear makes excuses. Fear forsakes the promise altogether. Fear paralyses and blinds. 

The crux of their situation is on having faith in the Living God and not be daunted the spirit of fear.

When they forsake the Promised Land, they forsake God Himself as they intended to select another leader to lead them back to Egypt. God and His Word (such as His promises) are synonymous (John 1:1). Words are synonymous with the speaker. When we do God’s Word we are obeying God Himself. 

"But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them (Numbers 13:6-9; NKJV).”

Lest we forget, the world we live in is still God's world where the reality of His Kingdom can be expanded. God works by His Word. "Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light (Genesis 1:3; NKJV)." His Word and His Promises must ultimately prevail. 

Rejecting God’s Word is synonymous to rejecting God. "Then the Lord said to Moses: “How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them (Numbers 14:11-12; NKJV)?" The rebels died by the plague before the LORD.

It is not by human strength or resolve (Numbers 14:40). The key is the Presence of God in the midst of them. His Promise is His Person. His Person is His Living Word. It is encountering the Person. Loving the Word of God is loving the Person of God Himself. 

God's Promises and Presence are the basis of our faith. John 5:19 reveals to us that Jesus does life and ministry by looking at God the Father. "Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner(John 5:19; NKJV)." 

One of the name of Jesus is "Wonderful" (Isaiah 9:6). Pastor Bobby shared of His recent ministry in an affiliate church in Fukuoka where he preached on the "Wonderful" name of God and urged the people to do wonderful things according to God's Name and nature. He prayed for the sick there and God did wonderful works of healing among the people. 

Earlier, Pastor Bobby also shared of a Myanmar School of Theology student whose son was healed of throat cancer through fervent faith and prayers.

Citing these evidential fruits from Japan and Myanmar, he then led the congregation to lay hands and prayed for those in our midst who needed a healing miracle for their sickness.

Footnote (not part of the sermon):-

Important Lesson On Attitude of Faith In GOD Rather Than Rebellion Against GOD

 

"And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me? I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me. Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you: The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above. 

Except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in. But your little ones, whom you said would be victims, I will bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised. But as for you, your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness. And your sons shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years, and bear the brunt of your infidelity, until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness. 

According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall know My rejection. I the Lord have spoken this. I will surely do so to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.’ (Numbers 14:26-35; NKJV)”

Do not allow fear to hijack your promise and destiny. God is a God of faithfulness whose Words are trustworthy. 

Contend for God's promises. The enemy, including our carnal nature, is fighting us back and we need to squash them by faith and fight for our promise and destiny by holding on to God's Word.

Let God arise and His enemies, the enemies of His people, be scattered. Amen.

The Kingdom of God

The following is a skeletal sermon notes based on Rev. Sun Ho's preaching of "The Kingdom of God Is Within Us" at City Harvest Church on 25 August 2018, with adaptation.

In the LORD's Prayer, Jesus taught us a prayer which includes these words: "Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven."

When the Kingdom of God comes, what is real in heaven will be real on earth, as well. For example, there will be Hope and Healing against all odds. 

Where is the kingdom of God? Jesus replied thus in Luke 17:20b-21 (NKJV), "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”

This internal reality of God's kingdom overflows out of us and permeates, affect and changes our external reality. For example, in Mark 4 Jesus rebuked the windstorm with "Peace, be still!" and the wind ceased. Jesus’ internal reality became His external reality. The kingdom that Jesus lives in has no storm.

We need to appropriate more of heaven on earth as a living reality beyond mere knowledge. Let our consciousness of His kingdom and presence be greater than our circumstances. The devil is not worthy of our attention. 

Our eyes ought to be set on God who will rule and reign in our heart and soul if we humble ourselves and submit to His authority. Learn to fear God. Psalm 25:12-13 (NKJV) has this to say to us, "Who, then, are those who fear the Lord? He will instruct them in the ways they should choose. They will spend their days in prosperity, and their descendants will inherit the land." 

Psalm 25:14 (NKJV) goes on to say, "The Lord confides in those who fear Him; He makes His covenant known to them." Lovers of God has a private place and receive the revelation secrets of His promises. 

Right now, Jesus is giving fresh revelation and interceding for all believers who have been gifted to Him by God the Father. "I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours (John 17:6-9; NKJV)". 

The world is at its best when the church is at its best.

“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!(Mark 1:15; NKJV)”

Repentance involves a total change of thinking resulting in a total change of action. The kingdom of God within you will transform your life supernaturally. 

Genesis 1:26 reveals that we are made in the image and likeness of God. "Image" refers to external physical form while "likeness" means similar inner nature. We are the exact copy of God. 

We are to have dominion and subdue the earth. God has given us the legal authority of a lease agreement over earth. 

However, we gave it away to the devil when Adam and Eve were deceived and he now asserts that he can pass it on to whomever he wants (Luke 4:6).

We need to contend for more of the Kingdom of God and take back what the devil has stolen. Will you stay loyal to God and receive His power to accomplish your mission? "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him (2 Chronicles 16:9a; NKJV)."

We are well able to fulfill the call and mission if we adhere to the following spiritual disciplines:

1) Have the right image of ourselves; and

  

2) Partner with the Holy Spirit.

When Moses had his burning bush encounter with God, he asked "Who am I? (Exodus 3:11)" "And God said, “Certainly I will be with you,... (Exodus 3:12; AMP)” 

Moses had doubts and felt unqualified. On the other hand, God had chosen Moses (think of how Jesus also chose His inner circle of 12 disciples) and pre-qualified him for the task at hand.

According to a revelation from Pastor Bill Johnson in modern-speak, God is affirming Moses that 'You are the person I like to hang out with'.

We will receive power and ability when the Holy Spirit has come upon us (Acts 1:8). You are not inadequate no more with the Holy Spirit.

Click here for City Harvest Church: Sun Ho - The Kingdom Is Within Us  

The Heavens Declare The Glory of God

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard." Psalm 19:1-3 (NKJV)

The sun, moon, stars and galaxies as well as the sky and clouds unspokenly declare the glory of God. When we behold them, we are moved to an awareness of God's majestic splendour. 

Somehow the heavens speak louder than flora and fauna of the glory of God, and this could well have to do with their greater expanse and magnitude.

Look up to the heavens and you will see the glory of God. As you look up to God and behold His glory, your problems will diminish and be put into perspective. Surely, God is bigger than all your troubles combined.

May you increase in the knowledge of the glory of God.

How do you know if your dream is from God?

Click here for 7 Indicators You Have a Dream from God by Terri Savelle Foy, which are summarised as follows:

1. If it captures your imagination and inspires you everyday.

2. If it seems impossible and you're unable to fulfill it on your own.

3. If it seems as though it will never come to pass, but deep down you are 

    unwilling to give up on it.

4. If not everyone is as enthusiastic about it as you are.

5. If you have experienced resistance, difficulties, setbacks, and sometimes, 

    frustration over this dream.

6. If it consumes your thinking and it gets bigger and bigger on the inside.

7. If it seems to define who you are, and shape your life.

The Life Triangle of Energy, Money and Time

The following sermon notes are adapted from Rev Aries Zulkarnain's preaching at City Harvest Church 5 p.m. service on 30 June 2018.

"Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce." Proverbs 3:9 (NLT)

Honour God with everything you own; give the first and the best. Learn how to prioritise; give importance to what is important. 

Let God be in the centre of all your priorities such as family, church and work or  studies as you take a deeper walk with Him.

While you could have got your priority right, you may still be struggling in life as you face shortfalls or inadequacies in the 3 sides of Life Triangle, namely, Energy, Money and Time.

When money is lacking, you may succumbed to make it a priority and shrink the other two sides of energy and time. Hence, you end up working longer hours and this, in turn, affect your productivity/health and social interaction time with loved ones. As a result, your life triangle becomes lopsided.

Regardless of age, the life triangle will still apply. This awareness will help to better prepare you for the journey. By and large, a teenager has lots of energy and time, but little money. A working adult has energy and money, and lack time at their disposal. As for those in old age, there is plenty of time and money, but a depleting tank of energy.

The Bible looks at time, money and energy as resources to grow. For example, this is illustrated in Matthew 25 which covers the Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids, Parable of the Talent and the Final Judgment.

The following verse offers an insight on how life can be maintained in good balance and even expand the life triangle such that there will be more energy, money and time.  

"In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone." 2 Peter 1:5 (NLT)

The way to balance your life is not just about aligning your priorities. It’s about learning and changing from inside out. Use your resources to grow your inner circle of faith, character, skills/creativity, endurance, godliness, brotherly affection and love. Grow from the inside out and your triangle will grow. 

View energy-money-and-time as resources rather than priorities. Use the resources to upgrade your inner core and relationship with both God and people. A bigger inner circle will then be able to hold up a bigger triangle.

How To Be Strong In The LORD

"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me.
The Lord will perfect that which concerns me;
Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands." -- Psalm 138: 7-8 (NKJV)  

The many facets of truth and nuggets of wisdom from the Word of God have always been there for all and sundry. But, we need to turn aside to look into them and be blessed with our very own "burning bush" experience with the help of the Holy Spirit who teaches us.

Are you facing trouble on multiple fronts? The LORD will revive you as you walk uprightly with Him by faith. 

"Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened,

That it cannot save;

Nor His ear heavy,

That it cannot hear." -- Isaiah 59:1 (NKJV)

"He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil;

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." -- Psalm 23:3-4 (NKJV)

Humble yourself and call upon the LORD and He will save you, not just from sin, but also the difficulties you are dealt with. 

"I will cry out to God Most High,

To God who performs all things for me.

He shall send from heaven and save me;

He reproaches the one who would swallow me up. Selah

God shall send forth His mercy and His truth." -- Psalm 57:2-3 (NKJV)

Beyond saving you, the LORD is refining you as a constituent of His church that will be without blemish at His coming again. The confidence which Paul the apostle has declared continue to speak forth in truth: "I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return]." Philippians 1:6 (AMP) 

David was praising and worshipping God as well as declaring the lovingkindness and truth of God's Word way in Psalm 138:1-6 before he wrote verses 7-8. David was so full of eagerness to praise God that he will awaken the dawn (Psalm 57:8b) and was fully persuaded that God is so faithful and true that He has magnified His Word above all His name. David trusted God not because of His name alone but in the knowledge that God is both the personification and doer of His Word.

As you cry out to the LORD, may He indeed answer you and make you bold with strength in your soul. Amen.