Walking to prayer room and back home is becoming a 'romantic date time' with my boys.
1. Joshua came up with this game which he enjoys so much - see who spy the most squirrels. It is Fall time and squirrels are busy collecting food, I supposed they're collecting acorns, to store in their tree holes for winter.
2. Rainy day game 1: dry socks when we get home. This is a fun game for the boys. Instead of telling them not to step on puddle and explaining to them why they shouldn't step on puddle... I came up with this brilliant idea, which I believed is from the Lord, to encourage them to try keeping their socks dry.
3. Rainy day game 2: catch leave that fall from the trees with our umbrellas. For me, it is so beautiful to see rains pouring, and see colorful leaves falling off the trees when the wind blows, and I told Joshua "Don't you think it look like snow falling off the sky?" For Joshua, catching leaves on his umbrella is fun! He loves it. He actually got 1 stick on his umbrella!
4. making crunchy sounds on dry leaves by stepping on them and jumping on them. Even Cheryl loves this game. On our way to prayer room, there're so many leaves on the ground. It is so beautiful.
5. spy bird nest. Now that leaves are falling, some trees have no more leaves left. And so it is easy to see if there're any bird nest. We saw 3 today.
6. story telling. Samuel loves this one. I enjoy listening to his cute stories. He talks with so much expression and just the way he talks makes me laugh. I wish I could write down all those lovely stories he told me.
One time Samuel said "I'll bring Grandma to hiking."
Me: "Where?"
Samuel: "California."
Me: "Why?"
Samuel: " Because I don't want her to go back to New York."
Another time Samuel said "There is a boy and he loves God and he loves the Bible and he reads the Bible everyday and he obeys God and what God says in the Bible... and he gives many toys to other children... and he gives food to his neighbor... and when his sister fall, he carefully and gently help her up without laughing at her..... and that is me (Samuel)!!!"
I love my Muelmuel! I love my Joshua! And I love my Meimei!
Today Cheryl said "keekee". And I realized she meant "cookie". And I tried to teach her say "cookie". Then I said "oo" a few times and she got it. Then I said "coo" and she said "kee". So I remember she can said "coo coo" in Chinese means cry. So I said "coo coo". Finally she said "coo coo kee kee". SO CUTE!!!!! I love it!
I love how Cheryl kisses me a lot! My girl!
I'm so blessed with my children! Thank you God!
Friday, October 23, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
H&B 1 - Sustaining reality behind 24/7 prayer
Can I repent for sin for 24/7 for years and years? No!
Can I bind the devil 24/7 for years and years? No!
To be honest, I can't even do that for a few hours. I'd get exhausted, worn out, eventually bored and gave up (unless God show up.) I believe in repenting of sins in private setting as well as in corporate setting, I believe in rebuking the evil spirits too. But it is not something I'd do 24/7 for years.
How can IHOP do 24/7 prayer for the past 10 years? I've heard that people come and go, but the fire of the altar is still kept burning and has never gone off. There're also more and more people join IHOP. IHOP has 500+ full time staffs now, and the staffs do not get paid by IHOP, they raise support. There must be something powerful.... here's the answer I got from my H&B Handbook.
The sustaining reality behind the IHOP-KC prayer model of 24 hour a day prayer is encountering God in His beauty.
The power to engage in night and day prayer is found in having a heart that soars in God. We cannot repent of sin nor bind the devil 24 hours a day for years and years. Yes, we do engage in prayers with this focus, but not as the main model of 24/7 prayer.
If we're honest to ourselves, we all love beauty. We like to feel beautiful, like to look at things and people who are beautiful, we like beautiful houses, cars, clothes, scenery, pictures... Our desire for beauty is not sinful, in fact, it is a God-designed longing which He placed in us when He created us. Beauty itself is not sinful. God Himself is the source of all true beauty. Only God Himself can fully satisfied this longing for beauty He designed in us. His beauty can fascinate our heart and awaken us; and the beauty He imparts in us can truly beautify us. (The Seven Longings of the Human Heart talks about this in details.)
How can we have enjoyable prayer? Understanding of God's beauty and God's burning desire (affection) for human beings. This is the primary source of power that will fuel the End-Time prayer movement.
This verse sums up David's life-long preoccupation as gazing on the beauty of God.
Psalm 27:4 "One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek:... all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD..."
The revelation of God's beauty fascinate our hearts. When we understand God's beauty, we can enjoy Him more. Encountering God's beauty and God's desire for us is where we most enjoy our primary reward, which is God Himself. Jesus is our primary reward. God spoke to Abraham and "I am your exceedingly great reward" (Gen 15:1). Even though spiritual breakthrough is fantastic, but it is not our primary reward but our secondary reward. Being involved in H&B ministry (in one way or another) for the past 9 years, my most enjoyable moments are those I encountered Jesus and was amazed by the revelation of who God is and how much He loves and cares for us. When spiritual breakthrough became my primary focus, I'd be disappointed most of the time when responses are delayed. But I remember who I was being nourished and nurtured and refreshed after H&B session because I encountered Jesus.
There were times when I was sidetracked and lose my focus on Jesus. But now I want to turn my focus back to this beautiful God. Jesus is the reason I sing, He is the reason I play the piano, He is the reason I sing the Scripture. In the midst of this, I will behold His beauty. Yes, Jesus, I want to behond Your beauty all the days of my life!
(A lot of the content are from "Harp & Bowl Handbook II 2005 edition)
Can I bind the devil 24/7 for years and years? No!
To be honest, I can't even do that for a few hours. I'd get exhausted, worn out, eventually bored and gave up (unless God show up.) I believe in repenting of sins in private setting as well as in corporate setting, I believe in rebuking the evil spirits too. But it is not something I'd do 24/7 for years.
How can IHOP do 24/7 prayer for the past 10 years? I've heard that people come and go, but the fire of the altar is still kept burning and has never gone off. There're also more and more people join IHOP. IHOP has 500+ full time staffs now, and the staffs do not get paid by IHOP, they raise support. There must be something powerful.... here's the answer I got from my H&B Handbook.
The sustaining reality behind the IHOP-KC prayer model of 24 hour a day prayer is encountering God in His beauty.
The power to engage in night and day prayer is found in having a heart that soars in God. We cannot repent of sin nor bind the devil 24 hours a day for years and years. Yes, we do engage in prayers with this focus, but not as the main model of 24/7 prayer.
If we're honest to ourselves, we all love beauty. We like to feel beautiful, like to look at things and people who are beautiful, we like beautiful houses, cars, clothes, scenery, pictures... Our desire for beauty is not sinful, in fact, it is a God-designed longing which He placed in us when He created us. Beauty itself is not sinful. God Himself is the source of all true beauty. Only God Himself can fully satisfied this longing for beauty He designed in us. His beauty can fascinate our heart and awaken us; and the beauty He imparts in us can truly beautify us. (The Seven Longings of the Human Heart talks about this in details.)
How can we have enjoyable prayer? Understanding of God's beauty and God's burning desire (affection) for human beings. This is the primary source of power that will fuel the End-Time prayer movement.
This verse sums up David's life-long preoccupation as gazing on the beauty of God.
Psalm 27:4 "One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek:... all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD..."
The revelation of God's beauty fascinate our hearts. When we understand God's beauty, we can enjoy Him more. Encountering God's beauty and God's desire for us is where we most enjoy our primary reward, which is God Himself. Jesus is our primary reward. God spoke to Abraham and "I am your exceedingly great reward" (Gen 15:1). Even though spiritual breakthrough is fantastic, but it is not our primary reward but our secondary reward. Being involved in H&B ministry (in one way or another) for the past 9 years, my most enjoyable moments are those I encountered Jesus and was amazed by the revelation of who God is and how much He loves and cares for us. When spiritual breakthrough became my primary focus, I'd be disappointed most of the time when responses are delayed. But I remember who I was being nourished and nurtured and refreshed after H&B session because I encountered Jesus.
There were times when I was sidetracked and lose my focus on Jesus. But now I want to turn my focus back to this beautiful God. Jesus is the reason I sing, He is the reason I play the piano, He is the reason I sing the Scripture. In the midst of this, I will behold His beauty. Yes, Jesus, I want to behond Your beauty all the days of my life!
(A lot of the content are from "Harp & Bowl Handbook II 2005 edition)
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Change II
I will change the understanding and expression of Christianity in the whole earth in one generation. "(The Lord spoke this to Mike Bickle on Sept. 1982 in Cairo, Egypt)
God will change the expression of Christianity. There're 4 heart standards that are essential to the "change" in which the end-time church was to function. Here...
I = Intercession
H = Holiness of Heart
O = (Extravagant) Offerings
P = Prevailing Faith
Revelation 9:21 also describes 4 primary sin patterns prior to Jesus' return. The 4 essential heart standards war against these 4 primary sin patterns at the end of the age.
I = Intercession vs. Murder
H = Holiness of Heart vs. Sexual Immorality
O = (Extravagant) Offerings vs. Theft
P = Prevailing Faith vs. Sorceries
God is inviting us now to fully embrace the 4 heart standards that will fuel our war against sin and darkness in the day to come. Saying "yes" now is hard, but waiting to say "yes" until that day, will be nearly impossible. These aer our "weapons' in our war against lust now and our victory over the spirit of the antichrist in the days to come.
I = Intercession vs. murder
End time church will be built upon night and day prayer (Isa. 62:6). 24/7 prayer in the spirit of the Tabernacle of David. The final description of the church is a bride in full unity with the Holy Spirit crying out in intercession for her Beloved (Rev. 22:17). At the end of the age, there'll be little to no regard for life, no love for mercy, no capacity for compassion and great injustice raging throughout the nations. It will be a very dark time of history. However, in the mercy of God, the earth will be filled with songs of deliverance and justice during the greatest time of bondage to injustice the world has ever witnessed.
H - Holiness of Heart vs. sexual immorality
End time church will be built upon holiness of heart, having a joyful, buoyant heart that is 'fully alive' in the love of God. True love as God defines as demonstrates itself through our obedience in the secret place of our hearts (inward thoughts) and its subsequent overflow in our outward actions with joy. True rightousness hurts, it costs us something, because we turn from things that we really want to do and rending our hearts (Joel 2:12-13). Some wrongly believe that if its God's grace, then there is no pain. There is a real tearing, called enduring the cross that comes before true joy. On the opposite end, sexual immorality will be widespread and common. It will be accepted as a societal standard and expressed far beyond what we can imagine today. What is done in secret today, that which is shameful and unspeakable, will be the norm and will be done openly, boldly, an dproudly in the days to come. They cannot grasp that it is sinful, shameful, or wrong to do these things. We're already seeing this today the beginning of it. Where the end time church finds its satisfaction and anchor will function as a direct rebuke and provocation to the peoples. Thus, holiness of heart, or 'love-fueled holiness' is the only thing that will help the church overcome the wave of darkness, filth and sexual immorality that will wash over the nations.
O = (Extravagant) Offering vs. Theft
End time church will be built upon extravagant giving to the poor. This speaks of living simply and not poverty mentality. And intentionally taking less so that we could give more to the harvest and the poor of the earth.
I have to say something about this, I used to be trapped and lived with poverty mentality for years, keep thinking that I'm poor, I don't have enough to buy more, to pay for Christian school tuition fee for my children... but that's not spiritual at all, and not from the Lord at all. Since that poverty mentality is so wrong, I used to struggle with "Why are you buying these for others who are rich and have so much already while on the other hand getting mad at me when I buy something for our children???" Honestly, I felt very injustice. Years later, I directed my complain to God. One time He gave me a dream (I think God knows I won't hear Him if He whisper to me). In that dream, I gave a big amount of money to a pastor and I could remember the exact amount of money. I woke up and with a desire to give bursting in me, I did as I had dream. Seriously, I've never felt so much joy in me, not even when I spend lots of money on myself. I'm never too poor to give. Even the widow Jesus made a good comment on, she was poor yet she had something to give. Today, God is still working in me to break that poverty mentality layer after layer. I know one day I'll walk freely in that anointing of extravagant giving.
One of the biggest unaddressed strongholds in the church is covetousness, probably bigger than immorality, yet it is nearly absent in most of our conscience. Because of massive poverty and desperate famine that will touch every person on the earth in the coming days, thefts, bribery, and corruption will plague the entire earth. Therefore a commmitment to live simply knit to an overflowing free heart in the area of money is critical in a time when one man (antichrist) will quickly assume control the majority of the world's wealth (Rev. 13:17; 17:16; 18:10-19). It will shock the global community to see the church "outgiving" the nations in serving the poor, during a time when most people are only serving themselves.
P = Prevailing Faith vs. sorceries
End time church will be built upon prevailing faith or confidence in God's prophetic intervention for breakthrough in our internal reality (heart level) and in external circumstances; provision in need (no need to hoard money), protection when attacked (no need to defend or be vindictive), direction in time of darkness (eliminates fear and confusion) and power in weakness (signs and wonders). (Luke 18:8; John 14:12)
Sorceries and demon worship will be a normative expression of man's lust for supernatural power to preserve themselves and escape the torment of the devastation and destitution of that time.
These 2 groups will move i great supernatural, inexplicable power, as the rest of the earth watches to see whose God (or god) prevails in a unique clash of 2 kingdoms prior to Jesus' return. One group will reach their limit - as the sorcerers of Pharaoh and the prophets of Baal once did, while the other gorup will demonstrate the unlimited resource of power under the authority of the coming King.
God will change the expression of Christianity. There're 4 heart standards that are essential to the "change" in which the end-time church was to function. Here...
I = Intercession
H = Holiness of Heart
O = (Extravagant) Offerings
P = Prevailing Faith
Revelation 9:21 also describes 4 primary sin patterns prior to Jesus' return. The 4 essential heart standards war against these 4 primary sin patterns at the end of the age.
I = Intercession vs. Murder
H = Holiness of Heart vs. Sexual Immorality
O = (Extravagant) Offerings vs. Theft
P = Prevailing Faith vs. Sorceries
God is inviting us now to fully embrace the 4 heart standards that will fuel our war against sin and darkness in the day to come. Saying "yes" now is hard, but waiting to say "yes" until that day, will be nearly impossible. These aer our "weapons' in our war against lust now and our victory over the spirit of the antichrist in the days to come.
I = Intercession vs. murder
End time church will be built upon night and day prayer (Isa. 62:6). 24/7 prayer in the spirit of the Tabernacle of David. The final description of the church is a bride in full unity with the Holy Spirit crying out in intercession for her Beloved (Rev. 22:17). At the end of the age, there'll be little to no regard for life, no love for mercy, no capacity for compassion and great injustice raging throughout the nations. It will be a very dark time of history. However, in the mercy of God, the earth will be filled with songs of deliverance and justice during the greatest time of bondage to injustice the world has ever witnessed.
H - Holiness of Heart vs. sexual immorality
End time church will be built upon holiness of heart, having a joyful, buoyant heart that is 'fully alive' in the love of God. True love as God defines as demonstrates itself through our obedience in the secret place of our hearts (inward thoughts) and its subsequent overflow in our outward actions with joy. True rightousness hurts, it costs us something, because we turn from things that we really want to do and rending our hearts (Joel 2:12-13). Some wrongly believe that if its God's grace, then there is no pain. There is a real tearing, called enduring the cross that comes before true joy. On the opposite end, sexual immorality will be widespread and common. It will be accepted as a societal standard and expressed far beyond what we can imagine today. What is done in secret today, that which is shameful and unspeakable, will be the norm and will be done openly, boldly, an dproudly in the days to come. They cannot grasp that it is sinful, shameful, or wrong to do these things. We're already seeing this today the beginning of it. Where the end time church finds its satisfaction and anchor will function as a direct rebuke and provocation to the peoples. Thus, holiness of heart, or 'love-fueled holiness' is the only thing that will help the church overcome the wave of darkness, filth and sexual immorality that will wash over the nations.
O = (Extravagant) Offering vs. Theft
End time church will be built upon extravagant giving to the poor. This speaks of living simply and not poverty mentality. And intentionally taking less so that we could give more to the harvest and the poor of the earth.
I have to say something about this, I used to be trapped and lived with poverty mentality for years, keep thinking that I'm poor, I don't have enough to buy more, to pay for Christian school tuition fee for my children... but that's not spiritual at all, and not from the Lord at all. Since that poverty mentality is so wrong, I used to struggle with "Why are you buying these for others who are rich and have so much already while on the other hand getting mad at me when I buy something for our children???" Honestly, I felt very injustice. Years later, I directed my complain to God. One time He gave me a dream (I think God knows I won't hear Him if He whisper to me). In that dream, I gave a big amount of money to a pastor and I could remember the exact amount of money. I woke up and with a desire to give bursting in me, I did as I had dream. Seriously, I've never felt so much joy in me, not even when I spend lots of money on myself. I'm never too poor to give. Even the widow Jesus made a good comment on, she was poor yet she had something to give. Today, God is still working in me to break that poverty mentality layer after layer. I know one day I'll walk freely in that anointing of extravagant giving.
One of the biggest unaddressed strongholds in the church is covetousness, probably bigger than immorality, yet it is nearly absent in most of our conscience. Because of massive poverty and desperate famine that will touch every person on the earth in the coming days, thefts, bribery, and corruption will plague the entire earth. Therefore a commmitment to live simply knit to an overflowing free heart in the area of money is critical in a time when one man (antichrist) will quickly assume control the majority of the world's wealth (Rev. 13:17; 17:16; 18:10-19). It will shock the global community to see the church "outgiving" the nations in serving the poor, during a time when most people are only serving themselves.
P = Prevailing Faith vs. sorceries
End time church will be built upon prevailing faith or confidence in God's prophetic intervention for breakthrough in our internal reality (heart level) and in external circumstances; provision in need (no need to hoard money), protection when attacked (no need to defend or be vindictive), direction in time of darkness (eliminates fear and confusion) and power in weakness (signs and wonders). (Luke 18:8; John 14:12)
Sorceries and demon worship will be a normative expression of man's lust for supernatural power to preserve themselves and escape the torment of the devastation and destitution of that time.
These 2 groups will move i great supernatural, inexplicable power, as the rest of the earth watches to see whose God (or god) prevails in a unique clash of 2 kingdoms prior to Jesus' return. One group will reach their limit - as the sorcerers of Pharaoh and the prophets of Baal once did, while the other gorup will demonstrate the unlimited resource of power under the authority of the coming King.
COLD COLD FALL
Yes, it is Fall, but it is very cold.
50-60 degree in the day time and 30-40 degree at night.
Farmstead is still open but they'll close in winter.
One Saturday morning we went there again for our family time.
It was very very cold.
As a wise mom, I checked the weather ahead of time and have them clothed layer after layer.
Gloves, scarfs, warm jackets, hats...
We found out that the goats like to eat the leaves we picked from the trees. So instead of paying money to buy food for the goats, we just picked them from trees.
It is fun to feed them.
My dear princess, wearing a jacket that is 1 size bigger. She walked slower than usual because of the heavy clothes on her.
Many people made comments that she is so cute.
I agree. She is God's masterpiece!
What beautiful family!God bless these beautiful children of God!
Bless them with spirit of wisdom and revelation!
Bless them that the eyes of their understanding being enlighten!
Bless them that they'll know what is the hope of Your calling,
what is the riches of the glory of Your inheritance in them,
and what is the exceeding greatness of Your power towards them who believe in You!
Bless them and fill them with Your fullness!
Bless them with joy and peace!Bless them with patience and kindness!
Bless them with wealth that they'll have more to give!
Bless them with health and strength!
Bless them with the grace to know Your love and to love You wholeheartedly!
And bless me too!Friday, October 9, 2009
CHANGE
(This is from Intro's notes)
"I will change the understanding and expression of Christianity in the whole earth in one generation. "(The Lord spoke this to Mike Bickle on Sept. 1982 in Cairo, Egypt)
1. God will change the understanding, which means the way that the unbeliever understands the church and Christianity as a whole.
Just reading this phrase at first didn't impress me at all. So, what? Who care what others think of us, if we only care for what God thinks of us... I used to be quite passive when come to things that don't directly and personally have something to do with me. But, look!
Acts 5:11-16 So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things. And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people... Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women...
What God did in Acts, He will do again and with increasing measure to the fullness! Imagine this, or picture this in the mind, kings, presidents, leaders of nations and multitudes of people take seriously what the church is saying and doing! As of now, to others, church is only one of the many religions and ways to be good. They don't care what we're saying or preaching or teaching. They don't want us to mess up with the rights of other people in what gender they want to marry... or their decision to keep the baby in the womb or not... they see church as mostly boring, irrelevant and totally non-theatening. But before the Lord returns, this will change. God will change the understanding of Christianity. This is exciting!
2. God will change the expression, which means the way that the people of God express their life together, with the power of the Spirit and Sermon on the Mount lifestyles.
Isaiah 56:6 Also the sons of the foreigner who join themselves to the LORD, to serve Him, and to love the name of the LORD... Even them I will bring to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations." The Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, says, "Yet I will gather to Him others besides those who are gathered to Him."
I see how this is starting to take place even now. There're a lot of 'house of prayers' raised up, and more Christians are starting to get the joy of worshipping and praying before God. In the days to come, house of prayer is not just a side program among the many programs runned by a local church. It is exciting to see God bringing nations and make them joyful in His house of prayer. Before the Lord return, this will increases like never before and that generation will see it in it's fullness. People will actually like praying, enjoy praying in the house of prayer. Day and night! 24/7! Our life be Sermon on the Mount lifestyle 24/7 too! I heard someone preached "build up the tablernacle of David inside of you". To me, that means living out a lifestyle of prayer and worship, not limited to the location of where you are.
This is exciting for me. I might see it myself, I might not, depending on when the Lord's coming back and how long I'll live on earth, but the thought of how God will change the understanding and expression of Christianity excites me and stirs up so much hope in me. The God who did great miracles and signs and wonders, who sent judgment on Egypt with 10 plagues, who protected Daniel in the Lions' den, who protected Daniel's friends in the fire, who healed many sicks, and raised the death... will once again stretch out His hands in greater measure and in fullness. He has been performing His great and marvelous deeds, but the time is coming, His wonders and the works of His great power will fully manifest to the fullest. And, we, His Bride, will be in deep partnership with Him.
Yes, Christianity is not just getting save to have a passport to go to heaven. Is not just going to Sunday services and a few meetings here and there and enduring a boring life now as we wait for our eternal life in the future. Christianity is more than all these... I will spend my days to learn and to know and to experience Christianity as I've never experience before. I am enjoying my life as a Christian, I do!!!
"I will change the understanding and expression of Christianity in the whole earth in one generation. "(The Lord spoke this to Mike Bickle on Sept. 1982 in Cairo, Egypt)
1. God will change the understanding, which means the way that the unbeliever understands the church and Christianity as a whole.
Just reading this phrase at first didn't impress me at all. So, what? Who care what others think of us, if we only care for what God thinks of us... I used to be quite passive when come to things that don't directly and personally have something to do with me. But, look!
Acts 5:11-16 So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things. And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people... Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women...
What God did in Acts, He will do again and with increasing measure to the fullness! Imagine this, or picture this in the mind, kings, presidents, leaders of nations and multitudes of people take seriously what the church is saying and doing! As of now, to others, church is only one of the many religions and ways to be good. They don't care what we're saying or preaching or teaching. They don't want us to mess up with the rights of other people in what gender they want to marry... or their decision to keep the baby in the womb or not... they see church as mostly boring, irrelevant and totally non-theatening. But before the Lord returns, this will change. God will change the understanding of Christianity. This is exciting!
2. God will change the expression, which means the way that the people of God express their life together, with the power of the Spirit and Sermon on the Mount lifestyles.
Isaiah 56:6 Also the sons of the foreigner who join themselves to the LORD, to serve Him, and to love the name of the LORD... Even them I will bring to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations." The Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, says, "Yet I will gather to Him others besides those who are gathered to Him."
I see how this is starting to take place even now. There're a lot of 'house of prayers' raised up, and more Christians are starting to get the joy of worshipping and praying before God. In the days to come, house of prayer is not just a side program among the many programs runned by a local church. It is exciting to see God bringing nations and make them joyful in His house of prayer. Before the Lord return, this will increases like never before and that generation will see it in it's fullness. People will actually like praying, enjoy praying in the house of prayer. Day and night! 24/7! Our life be Sermon on the Mount lifestyle 24/7 too! I heard someone preached "build up the tablernacle of David inside of you". To me, that means living out a lifestyle of prayer and worship, not limited to the location of where you are.
This is exciting for me. I might see it myself, I might not, depending on when the Lord's coming back and how long I'll live on earth, but the thought of how God will change the understanding and expression of Christianity excites me and stirs up so much hope in me. The God who did great miracles and signs and wonders, who sent judgment on Egypt with 10 plagues, who protected Daniel in the Lions' den, who protected Daniel's friends in the fire, who healed many sicks, and raised the death... will once again stretch out His hands in greater measure and in fullness. He has been performing His great and marvelous deeds, but the time is coming, His wonders and the works of His great power will fully manifest to the fullest. And, we, His Bride, will be in deep partnership with Him.
Yes, Christianity is not just getting save to have a passport to go to heaven. Is not just going to Sunday services and a few meetings here and there and enduring a boring life now as we wait for our eternal life in the future. Christianity is more than all these... I will spend my days to learn and to know and to experience Christianity as I've never experience before. I am enjoying my life as a Christian, I do!!!
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Living before an audience of One
The story of a concert pianist in the last century that longed to play in the great concert hall in Vienna. When he finished his first concert before thousands, the people gave him a long standing ovation. Afterwards, he was asked, "Was it the greatest moment in your life to receive this long applause?" The concert pianist replied, "No! I liked it, but it was not the most important thing to me." He said, "When the people all sat down, an elderly man who sat in the top corner of the balcony simply nodded his head at me. That was the greatest moment of my life bcause he is the master who taught me for 30 years. One nod from him was worth much more than the long applause of the masses."
We live before an audience of One. Receiving the nod from our Master has great power in our hearts. It has more power than the approval of all others.
We live before an audience of One. Receiving the nod from our Master has great power in our hearts. It has more power than the approval of all others.
Friday, October 2, 2009
I love the book of Revelation!!!
I remember, very vividly, how I loved the book of Revelation in the year 1999. That was before I heard any message on Revelation from Mike Bickle. I remember one morning I read Revelation 4 and verses 2-6 stood out. As I walked to class from my dorm, I looked up the sky and those verses came up in my mind again and I was awestruck as if I saw the glory of God's throne with my own eye (I didn't see anything in the sky). My heart was so amazed by how majestic God's throne is. The One who sat on the throne in heaven has the appearance of jasper and carnelian (even though at that time I had no idea what those look like I still thought, in my spirit, it was awesome). A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. That must be so beautiful, beyond words can describe! And surrounding the throne were 24 elders, dressed in white and have crowns of gold on their heads, worshipping God days and nights. 7 lamps were blazing before the throne. And before the throne is a sea of glass, clear as crystal. For a while I loved to look at the sky as I walked back and forth to class and dorm. My heart was drawn to worship the One who sits on the throne of glory.
In 2000, I graduated from Moody and went to Agape Renewal Center in California. A group of us went to Kansas City and had a few days seminar at IHOP-KC. At that time, the house of prayer was in a small trailer. Mike Bickle was teaching on topics like harps and bowls in heaven (from the book of Revelation), days and nights prayer (book of Revelation), God's love for us (Song and Solomon), tabernacle of David... I fell in love with the book of Song of Solomon and started studying them. At the same time, something triggered in me and some of us who went. After we got home to San Francisco (actually in Belmont), we started gathering together at church around 5:30-6am (the morning prayer started at 7am)(we didn't tell each other we were going and we were surprised to see each other every morning) and I started playing on the piano and the worship leader started singing and people started joining us... there birthed our Harp and Bowl ministry, even though we didn't have much understanding. We sang through different parts of the Scriptures and I totally loved those worship and praises recorded in Revelation.
In year 2001, I went home for a month during our break. I remembered hearing from someone saying that the devil hates the book of Revelation, because it tells of his eternal destiny in lake of fire, so by reading out loud the book of Revelation will change the spiritual atmosphere around. I did that! I read the book of Revelations out loud whenever I got a chance when I was home.
In the years followed, I still love the book of Revelation but as I read them, I didn't understand majority of it. I only liked those part I understood, like 7 letters, the worship in heaven...
In 2009, which is now, I recently just completed a 3 month internship here at IHOP-KC. One of the many things I've learned here is the book of Revelation. Amazing. Now, as I read them, I can understand much more than I used to be. Even singing it along during the worship with the Word set in prayer room, I sang with more understanding and with more confidence. Oh, how I enjoy this!!! During Intro, we listened to 8 sessions of teaching from Mike Bickle's Omega course DVD on the book of Revelation. He gave us a clear outline of the book of Revelation and a clear overview. Then we had Revelation Trivia every Friday, 2 teams trying to answer question faster and earn more points. I have to admit that the Trivia actually pushed me to memorized the outline including the 21 judgments and seriously studied the Revelation study guide. I never thought I would be able to remember them all by memory but I did!! Even though our team didn't win, I really appreciate this Trivia activity.
Now that our busy schedule with Intro has come to an end, I set aside time to listen to CDs/MP3 teachings on Revelation which I bought. I totally enjoy it. I want to thank God for the book of Revelation and I want to thank God for Mike Bickle who teaches the book of Revelation with such clearity. I love the book of Revelation!!!!!!
In 2000, I graduated from Moody and went to Agape Renewal Center in California. A group of us went to Kansas City and had a few days seminar at IHOP-KC. At that time, the house of prayer was in a small trailer. Mike Bickle was teaching on topics like harps and bowls in heaven (from the book of Revelation), days and nights prayer (book of Revelation), God's love for us (Song and Solomon), tabernacle of David... I fell in love with the book of Song of Solomon and started studying them. At the same time, something triggered in me and some of us who went. After we got home to San Francisco (actually in Belmont), we started gathering together at church around 5:30-6am (the morning prayer started at 7am)(we didn't tell each other we were going and we were surprised to see each other every morning) and I started playing on the piano and the worship leader started singing and people started joining us... there birthed our Harp and Bowl ministry, even though we didn't have much understanding. We sang through different parts of the Scriptures and I totally loved those worship and praises recorded in Revelation.
In year 2001, I went home for a month during our break. I remembered hearing from someone saying that the devil hates the book of Revelation, because it tells of his eternal destiny in lake of fire, so by reading out loud the book of Revelation will change the spiritual atmosphere around. I did that! I read the book of Revelations out loud whenever I got a chance when I was home.
In the years followed, I still love the book of Revelation but as I read them, I didn't understand majority of it. I only liked those part I understood, like 7 letters, the worship in heaven...
In 2009, which is now, I recently just completed a 3 month internship here at IHOP-KC. One of the many things I've learned here is the book of Revelation. Amazing. Now, as I read them, I can understand much more than I used to be. Even singing it along during the worship with the Word set in prayer room, I sang with more understanding and with more confidence. Oh, how I enjoy this!!! During Intro, we listened to 8 sessions of teaching from Mike Bickle's Omega course DVD on the book of Revelation. He gave us a clear outline of the book of Revelation and a clear overview. Then we had Revelation Trivia every Friday, 2 teams trying to answer question faster and earn more points. I have to admit that the Trivia actually pushed me to memorized the outline including the 21 judgments and seriously studied the Revelation study guide. I never thought I would be able to remember them all by memory but I did!! Even though our team didn't win, I really appreciate this Trivia activity.
Now that our busy schedule with Intro has come to an end, I set aside time to listen to CDs/MP3 teachings on Revelation which I bought. I totally enjoy it. I want to thank God for the book of Revelation and I want to thank God for Mike Bickle who teaches the book of Revelation with such clearity. I love the book of Revelation!!!!!!
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