Look intently at Jesus!

Grace to you, God's beloved=)
Will be sharing some things to you guys that I feel is fresh from heaven. Most of my write-ups come mainly from my testimonies, my thoughts or even from various authors that I pick out from but few or only a handful of them are the ones that God really "drop" into my heart to write. Yep, so this is going to be the latter one=)
On Wednesday night, I was quite disheartened after what someone told me. My feelings just changed from a conscious state of being a beloved to why Lord? I felt down all of a sudden. It hurt me because of what I saw myself doing initially, will or may not be able to come to pass. I talked to Abba on my way home and when I finally reached home I just a sense a peace in my heart that everything’s going to be fine.
(I've not gone to what I'm going to share, just the intro=))
The next day, I woke up at 3 plus in the morning. Not knowing why, I was not at all thinking about the problem but tears were streaming down my face. He then impress strongly upon my heart to look at the two messages alongside each other, which was sent to me from two different people.
17/1--...the Father is watching intently over u.
18/1--God scanned his eyes over all e world and saw a gal he loved much.
"Look up the meaning of intently and scanned"
Yep so in the middle of the nite, sleepy as I was, I on the lights and toke out my BBC dictionary and started searching for it.Hee~
intent : When you look intent, you show that you are paying great attention
scanned : you look at it carefully...
I sense very strongly then for the word "look". Something I knew in my heart that God was going to speak to me. I even went to work that day still thinking about it...
I looked back at my clock and it was 3:33. And this verse from Jeremiah 33:3 just came to mind :"Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. "
The same morning, while I was preparing myself to work, in a matter of just few minutes I heard e morning devotion played by my landlord (only later on I found out that it was actually from the radio). It was speaking on faith...the one thing that spoke to me then was when she said, “Many a times in life we get disappointed over what we do not get or see ourselves doing…But do not lose hope for Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith.”
On bible study that night, Pastor preached on seeing your dreams. It's important to see good in it....
But what really hit my heart that night was, the same word and sentence he mention on both bs.
"Look intently-look for a long time-see your tumor on Jesus body…"
Mmm.Then I began asking Him.
What’s the different between seeing and looking?
Then the story on the camera that Pastor illustrated on came to mind. Imagine you are in a zoo and you see a koala bear in front of you and the crocodile at your other side. And you want to capture a picture of the koala. What will happen if you place the camera facing the crocodile, even if you wanted to take a picture of the koala or even if you’re standing facing the koala? It does not change the fact that the picture that’s going to be developed will still be the crocodile because the focus was not at the right direction.
This is what I got. You go to the zoo. You see many things around you. You may even like the sight of everything you see. But do you ever realize that it’s near to impossible or even impossible to take every angle, every corner of the zoo. You wouldn’t too at the first place right? Only the ones that you think is good to your sight, will you want to take it as a remembrance. What your fren may think is good may not be what you think is good. Looking is the part in which you take the camera and focus on it. We have a free choice to take. And I believe no one person would come out of the zoo taking the same pictures!
This earth belongs to God. And ALL that He has is freely given to us. Keep on Looking/focusing/visualizing those dreams in your heart and let Him develop the pictures for you=)
This morning (there’s just something about God speaking in the few minutes upon my waking=)) as I woke up, a scripture and a few bible stories flash across my mind. The scripture was the same one I heard on thurs morning. But I didn’t see it the first time I heard it. Hey? That’s the word look there too=)

Hebrew 12:2 : “²looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Look : 1) If you look in a particular direction, you turn your eyes in that direction in order to see what is there.
          2) To look at something also means to read, to examine, or consider it

The verse following it,

“³For consider Him(@ to look )who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.

Just before I write this, I woke up from my nap and I was standing near my books. I felt the same prompting to take up a book near me from Chase. It’s by Max Lucado-Learning to have a heart like His. And the first chapter and verse I open up to was also Hebrew 12:2! Few sentence following it was written. Heaven invites you to set the lens of your heart on the heart of Savior and make Him the object of your life.

What lies in the lens of your heart? It’s the desire God birth in you or your dreams. Set it at Jesus and He’ll birth forth your dream!

The next story that He asked me to look up to was on Jesus asking Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. Of course, by now I would have scan thru to see if there’s the word look. Hee~ and there really was. Two times the word looked was mention.

1^st mention:

 NCV: On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.

 ⁴Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

2^nd mention :

NCV : Then Abraham looked up and saw a male sheep caught in a bush by it’s horn.

¹³And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns.

The first time it was mention, Abraham was carrying his offering to God. But when he looks up again the second time, it was God giving him the ram as an offering!

Did he still have to offer Isaac? The one he loved? No.

Did he go about finding for the ram after the angel stopped him? No! The following verse said he looked up and the ram was there!

Give to God your time, your talents, your studies…It will be given back to you and much more! When he sees your heart, He whispers softly to you this “Rest, I will do the rest. You do not have to look for more time…more time will be given back to you and you will still have the time.” A ram was given to Abraham and he still have his son=)

The next story He brought me to was Cain and Abel.

What offering does God look at?

Genesis 4:2b Now Abel kept the flocks, and Cain worked the soil(self effort). In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and His offering. But on Cain He did not look with favor.

Last one was on Peter walking on water.

 ²⁶And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost! " And they cried out for fear.

²⁷But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid."

²⁸And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."

²⁹So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. ³⁰But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, ^F68 he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me! "

³¹And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?

The disciple saw Jesus but was afraid. Peter saw Jesus and he walked on Jesus. What made the difference? I believe he was constantly looking at Jesus. His eyes were turned to the direction of Jesus and He walk straight towards Jesus. And when he looked away, he sank and Jesus said “O you of little faith, why did you doubt”

When do you doubt? When do you start to see yourself sinking in your troubles? Why do you have so little faith in the areas you believe God for a breakthrough?

The answer is: Look intently at Jesus! He will do the supernatural; He’ll make you walk on waters.

Grace IS with us!=D

What can you give Him

from Extravagant Worship by Darlene Zschech

…The only thing I want from you is your heart. God says, “I don’t need your talent. I don’t need your gift. I don’t want all the stuff that you can do. I just want you. I want your heart.” David was the runt of the litter, overlooked as the one nobody wanted, but God loved his heart. He said, “I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart;he will do everything I want him to do”(Acts 13:22). God saw David’s heart and ready obedience, and He responded to David’s offering in a magnificent way—He made him king over His chosen people.

            One morning I was lying on bed, when Chloe said, “Mummy, sit up, sit up;I want to make you a breakfast.” She was five at the time, so I know her meal would be unique! She knew I liked toast, but she’s not allowed to use the toaster, and we kept the bread in the freezer. So her “toast” was rock hard. I also drink herbal tea, but she’s not allowed to use the kettle, so she put a teabag in a cup with cold water. And I don’t know where it came from, but she added a squashed banana to my breakfast tray.

            She was so proud herself when she put the tray on my lap. Words fail me.

            “Do you love it, Mum?”

            “Yep, I sure do!” I waited for her to leave, but she didn’t. “Thank You, Chloe, this is lovely.” She sat on my bed, looked at me with the cutest expression, and waited. Suddenly I knew that I had to eat the breakfast!

            “Mmmmm, Chloe, it’s beautiful!” The look on her face was priceless. She didn’t bring me breakfast to win points with me. She was too young yet to know that there might be money attached. All she wanted to do was to bless me. She gave me her best with a pure heart.

            You are not empty-handed, with nothing to bring to the table. God doesn’t want what you would like to be. He wants all that you are today. You can offer yourself to Him in worship; you can let that explosion of faith force you to praise His name and offer your attention to bless Him. Do you think giving your heart will bless God? Chloe blessed me. I still think about it! And you will bless God, because He looks past all the stuff of life and looks straight to the heart.

            When I exalt the Lord, God is increased, and the “me” in my life is decreased! I know I need more of God and less of me. I need more of His wisdom and less of my great ideas. I need more of his presence and less of my talent. Isn’t that what we all need?

            When we worship God, He is exalted, and our problems shrivel in His presence. “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will go strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.” Remember that song? That is the truth. When He is exalted, everything about us—the good, the bad, and the ugly—is decreased as we focus on Him.

Let Him usher you in this 2006

 Recently my attention has been focused on A.W.Tozer writings. I happened to come across two of his books in my mum’s drawer while I was searching for one of my favourite book. I may not have read a whole series of his books, but just these two is enough to feed my hungry soul to thirst for more=) The latest I’ve bought, or the first one to be exact was when Tecman was having their sales(40% for most of the books)last week and still is. Highly recommend you guys to go down and get excited to let Daddy to pick up the right book for you. 

            The title of the book is “Tozer Speaks to Student”.(It’s e last one on the shelf. Actually most of his books are only left with one.So if you’re interested to read this one, just send me a msg. I’ll be more than willing to pass you mine=))Below are just small passages of what I’ve taken out from the chapter—Be Filled with the Spirit.

            Yep it’s long. So read it only if you’ve time=) Not a reader? Just browse through the ones which I highlighted, maybe God can still speak to you with the little you have=)It’s just something which I felt very strongly to post it up. And something that I want to live by this year. I encourage you to memorize the Scriptures. Remember what Pastor said. Too much of the Word, we dry up. Too much of the Spirit, we blow up!So get both them to Grow up!=p

An introduction by Lyle W. Dorsett:

Except for C.S.Lewis and perhaps Oswald Chambers, it is difficult to find a twentieth-century Protestant author who has a wider audience than Tozer.

Tozer also intrigued his college audiences because of his transparency. He admitted his shortcomings and he preached on what he personally had experienced from biblical truth and his intimate relationship with Christ. These discerning students knew the difference between men who exegete Scripture and those whose hearts has been truly changed by the Bible

            Another reason why Tozer words flowed with ease through Wheaton chapel audiences can be attributed to his lack of a traditional theological education. To be sure, an ignorant speaker is apt to offend or bore a congregation of college women or men. But Tozer’s mind was either empty nor undisciplined. Although he preached without the benefit of Bible school, college or seminary training, his head was full of years of self-directed education. The man who only had eleven years of formal schooling steeped himself in history, theology, poetry and philosophy…In brief, when Tozer set foot on the Wheaton College campus, student expectations ran high. People expected to be intellectually stimulated and spiritually inspired and they were not disappointed

I think I have never said anything to you as important as what I am planning on saying tonight. I want to use this simple and very familiar text: “Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess;but be filled with the Spirit”(Ephesians 5:18)

“Be filled with the Spirit.” You can call it “be getting filled” or  “be being filled,”and it adds up to the same thing. It is the will of God that His people should be Spirit-filled people-all of them, not only missionaries and preachers, but all of God people everywhere.

I also have four other texts, and I am going to give them at the close of this message. This will be the first time you ever heard anybody preaching a sermon where there were four points in the conclusion and only one in the body of the sermon. It may  confuse the homiletical department, but at least I will be getting across what I want to say.

…To return to the question, how can I be filled with the Spirit?You can think them over and pray over them.

First, Romans 12:1-2:

I beseech you therefore, brethen, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

“Present your bodies”—that is, present an empty vessel. Do not present a full vessel or an unclean vessel. Present a vessel where the blood of Jesus has cleansed away the stains, and you have said to Him “Pardon, oh, Lord, my transgression and have mercy upon me according to Thy righteousness and wash away all my sins.” Present a clean vessel.

         Second, Luke 11:9, 11:13

Ask, and it shall be given you;seek, and ye shall find, knock, and it shall be opened unto you…If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

There are two ways to look at this text. The first is the way it is now being interpreted so as to destory all its meaning, the second is in the light of Christian experience down through the centuries. Certain interpreters says this cannot possibly be a spiritual principle laid down, so they dismiss it. These interpreters, as a rule, seem to me to be more determined a verse in line with preconceived theology than to be filled with the Holy Ghost. The lips that usually speak against this are pretty cold lips.

But over against men’s interpretations which says this is not for us is the long line superior saints, prophets, reformers, missionaries, evangelists, pastors and holy people of God down through the years who have not been told that it is wrong to open your vessel say, “Fill me, Lord.” But I been hearing that it is wrong to do it. I know better because I asked, and He gave me.

         Third, Acts 5:32 :

…the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

He gives the Holy Spirit to them that obey Him. I have covered that, but it is the third point in my little talk.

Fourth, Galations 3:2. Paul says,

This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

It is a rhetorical question. The answer is “By the hearing of faith, of course.” Faith alone is the vessel that can receive. Faith alone can only tap and fill with the Spirit. I want to watch my language, for I do not want to leave a sentence with you that Satan could twist and harm, so when I say receive I do not mean receive in the sense that He is far away and must come to your heart. I mean receive or be filled in the sense that He fills His people with the Holy Spirit. Even after Pentecost it was written that “ Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said…”(Acts4:8). There was nothing incompatible with sound theology embraced by the apostles, surely, and they were filled, sometimes, with the Holy Ghost.

God wants to fill you. I give you this, and here is the only place I expect to run into trouble with some of you good, careful bible expositors, but I give you this and I do not give you the text, so if you want to disbelieve me, we will still be friends. I have not heard that anyone ever was filled who did not know he had been, and I never heard of anybody being filled gradually.

You think with me for a moment about the Old Testament and the New Testament—do you ever remember of any place in the Old Tespament when the Holy Spirit came gradually?No Plce. Ever hear of any place in the New Testament where He came gradually?No, He did not. I never say that God never did. But I do say that He never recorded an instance where He did. Always the Holy Spirit is self-announcing and self validating:you do not have to be told.

A great man of God who is now in heaven and whom I gently admire once preached from the text, “Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John7:38). And some dear brethren, careful expositors, took him to lunch afterwards. After they had gotten him nicely settled, the soup had been disposed of and they were ready for the main course, they said, “Now, dear you were woefully unbiblical in your exegenesis. That did not mean what you thought it meant at all.”(He had taught they would be filled with the Spirit, and out from within them would flow rivers of living water,)

They said, “That does not mean that. We will show you what theat means dispensationally.” They went along and dispensationalized a while. Pretty soon one of them got honest with himself and came down off his theological pedestal. He bowed his head and the tears began to flow. HE said, “Brother, we have the right exegesis, but you have the rivers.” I would rather have the rivers than the right exegesis. But I am not apologizing for bad exegesis, either! I think I have given you a fair presentation.

If we do not believe this, let us stop singing “Fill Me Now” and all those revival hymns and choruses. Let us stop it and be honest with ourselves. If it is not biblical and the belief in it is unscriptural, let us take it out of our hymnbooks. Why sing in our hymnbooks what we deny in our lives?

But if it is true, then let us begin to expect wondrously that He will “Fill Me Now” with Himself. Are you with me on this? Is this not more than anything else—that God should give you full increased measures of His blessed Holy Spirit to be your Comforter, your Mentor, your Inner Teacher, your Guide, to give you an unction from the Holy One? While your teacher is teaching your intellect, the Holy One is teaching your heart, to keep, rebuke, encourage and comforts you—that is what He is here for. Oh, we have neglected Him so shamefully. We have forgotten Him days without end. Let us not do it any more.Let us expect Him to fil us.

[This message was delivered at Pierce Chapel, Wheaton College, on the evening of October 2, 1952]

I pray that this year will be a year that we’ll grow to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit in us, guiding us to be at the right place and right time!

Enjoy the journey, God’s beloved!

Grace IS with us!=D