Tuesday, March 27, 2007

God is Enlarging our Influence.

I cannot describe how excited i am, gals, for what God has in store for us.

Presently i just cannot thank God enough that He has clearly placed greater faith in each of us. Walking in the Spirit and partnering with the Holy Spirit is really exciting!

Meiqi also had the opportunity to share Christ with 2 of her colleagues yesterday! She also blessed one of them with the book 'A Purpose Driven Life'. In the name of Jesus, we declare that these 2 souls will come to lead Passion Driven lives in Jesus soon!

Thanks gals for praying for my time with Xianglin last night, and also my diarrhoea. Last night i tossed in bed for hours, didnt know why i was unable to sleep. I spent time praying instead, and God kept my spirit strong in Him.

I must share this amazing testimony.

3+ years ago, after i conducted Thumbs-up for a class in Bukit Panjang Govt High, i bonded with a bunch of girls from the class like never before. I knew God wants to use me in the relationships here, so i declared in Jesus' name that i want every of the girls in this clique to be saved.

Here were what then happened:

1. Within one year, Patricia accepted the Lord at a Thumbs-up camp.

2. One year later, after much persuasion by the Holy Spirit, Belinda said the Sinners' Prayer in the living room of her home.

3. Yet another year after that, Kah Li came to FCBC, received Christ and is now in a cell group in the adult network.

4. Last night Xianglin felt a touch of God like never before in her life.


God is awesomely faithful - faithful to hear our prayers, faithful to answer. Even through the years. As long as we are patient in Him, as long as we believe.

Last night i also cried (the mother's pain was so real) to the Lord for Patricia and Belinda to come back to the Lord. Pray with me!

Novie, i am still asking the Lord for a verse for Fanny. Will tell you when i hear! =) Want to affirm you for your heart for Fion too. Let's continue to show her Jesus through our lives!

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Ying Shuen, you are not forgotten!

Dearest Ying Shuen,

Thank you for your sms this evening. A short yet very sweet "I miss you" touched me so much. I cannot thank God enough for the special relationship that you have with me and the cell group; thank God for preserving it in His hands.

Hope your mum and you were okay just now. My heart ached for you after the abrupt phone call. But at the same time, i told God i am continuing to believe God for your family's salvation, and that you WILL get your mum's blessing to be saved and be reunited with the spiritual family! Believe with me!

Hugs tight,
Mirabel

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Why I Want to be a Mother

[As posted by Ps YC on cluster blog in his post titled 'Look Far in the Vision']


80,000 cell leaders. El Campin Stadium Bogota. International G12 Conference 2005.
(Click - see it to believe it)


200+ Dreamers, Movers and Shakers, YCYPAO Cluster. West Coast Park 2006.


4 in Poh Family. CNY 2007.


2 lives committed to God's Vision, 1995.

Ps Cesar (adapted - G12 Conference Singapore 2007)
"When you look for a mate, know that it is not primarily for your pleasure. The goal is to produce offspring for our Father in Heaven."


Ps YC (SOL 1 on goal of marriage & courtship)
“Partners on earth to prepare one another and those around us to spend eternity with God”


Look Far when you pray for your mate today!

* * *

Why Mirabel wants to be a mother

I remembered being very touched when hearing Ps Cesar say on Sunday, we find a mate to produce offspring for our Father. Seeing it again here made me tear again. I cried to Abba Father,

"Who am i to deserve such honour to produce offspring for You?? That's such a privilege You have given to me, Father! But yes, that's exactly my heart's desire too - to form a G12 family whereby my children will be in the same vision, and serve and love You wholeheartedly generations after generations!"

I was reminded of Mary, whom Ps Nina said during the conference, simply obeyed God in faith when He called her to be a mother (of Jesus). She had nothing to offer God, probably no qualities that people would look up to. But simply because she no longer said 'no' to God, her life was transformed.

i thought that Mary's description also depicts me, also an imperfect person definitely. I also make mistakes and can be vulnerable. But because i said 'Yes' to God, i know the Lord is teaching me to be a (i always pray so) better and better mother to all of you. Thank you gals for accepting me, an imperfect person, as your spiritual mother, and loving me. Thank you for your affirmations for me during G12 Conference.

I submit myself under the covering of my spiritual mother, Ps Yueh Ping, and i pray that as each of you chooses to submit under my covering too, indeed all that i receive are yours too.

My hope for everyone of you daughters, is that you will always continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. I pray envisioning each and everyone of you shining and blossoming in the beauty of the Lord, becoming more and more like Him.

And i pray for my mate not just to become a wife, but to be a mother to natural offspring who will shine as God's children, and in turn multiply generations that always walk tall, firm and strong in the Lord! =)

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Dina's thanksgiving for G12 Conference (her 1st!)

"I thank God that i made the right choice by going to the conference. I really enjoyed myself there through all the weariness, which CANNOT COMPARE TO THE JOY I FELT THERE!

Yeah i treated the conference as a retreat for me too. I felt embraced in God's arms and felt the boundless love He has for me. =)

And yeah, I felt deeply touched, comforted and secured by Him in the heart. It is like a fresh anointing (of His love) and I know that He will never leave me, no matter what.

I am extremely thankful for it. I love Jesus. =) "



(Posted as requested by Dina whose comp is down)

Yes Dina, I am so proud of you that you obeyed God to go. He has done an awesome work in you through the conference. Keep that fresh touch of love with you everyday!

Serving the Nations together at G12 Conference

This is a tiny glimpse of the BIG picture of our Serving the Nations in the future!

With the Japanese sisters from Saitama Shalom Church

Let's flood the blog with our testimonies and thanksgiving from G12 Conference! All of you have spoken of amazing things God did for you. Let's use them to encourage ourselves and others! =)

My 'Before and After'





















You saw me holding these big cards on stage at Max Pavilion last Saturday Night for the segment 'Flashcard Testimonies - Testaments of Christ's Faithfulness'.

How Great is our God... Sing with me How Great is our God....

* * *

Before i knew Christ - Fighting for man's approval

- Was trying hard to please almost everyone and meet their expectations
- If people do not think well of me/ i do not meet what they expect of me, i would feel super lousy and think of myself as a failure.
- One main factor: Since i was 16, my dad was overseas for work most of the time. The distance between me and my dad grew, and i began to doubt his love and approval of me. I found myself trying to do many things to win his approval so as to make myself feel worthy.

After i knew Christ - Wholly Accepted, Deeply Loved, Completely Assured in Christ!

+ Walking with Jesus along time, I began to know Him more, and realised His love for me really does not change at any time, even when i fail Him!
+ He is the Greatest Lover in the whole world!
+ With such assuring love, i grew more and more secure in Christ about myself, and came to know that my self-worth does not have to be dependent on the varying opinions and vast expectations of so many people. There is no way to please everyone!
+ Outcome of this: I began to pursue my dreams and work on the things of my heart with amazing fervor, confidence and passion!

* * *


It was an unexpectedly awesome (and also ultimately worrying) experience standing on stage for me, even for that few seconds... Gosh, all the big screens had just me! Bearing my life before the nations, i felt super bare for a moment.

Then i heard the cheers, and Ps Eugene even got the 7000-crowd to pray for all the 'flashers'. Indeed when we give God all the honour, He honours us back beyond our imagination.

Thanks for cheering for me dears, and more importantly, cheering for Jesus who transformed my life!

3 Cheers for Jesus!!!

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Processing Qns from previous post/sermon

1. Have we completely let go of our old selves? Let the old man loose!
- Ephesians 4:25-5:17 specially mentioned
a. Anger (Eph 4:26-27,31)
b. Unwholesome talk (Eph 4:29, 5:4)
c. etc.

- Eph 5:11-14 'Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible.

- Live as children of light! Don't waste Christ's fragrance on us!

2. What are some attitudes of our minds that need to be changed? Do we want to change them?
- Think not like the world does, but like Christ thinks!

3. About new self: Are we becoming more and more like Jesus?
Do we tolerate sin
in our lives and others'?



The Light before me, the shadows behind me

Sermon 11mar: Living Right with the Breastplate of Righteousness

To hear/view sermon online, please go to FCBC Sermons Online.

10 Mar 2007
'Know God's Standard! - Living Right with the Breastplate of Righteousness'
Key Verses: Ephesians 6:14


Ephesians 5:8-9 'For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth).'

How to live as Children of Light -> ***Ephesians 4:17-5:17

Ephesians 4:21-24 'You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.'

1. Put off the Old Man/Self!
a. Ephesians 4:17-19 'So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.'

b. After Jesus resurrected Lazarus from the dead, Jesus said (John 11:44) "Take off the grave clothes (symbolises old life) and let him (the old self) go!"


Colossians 3:8 and James 1:21 use the words "Rid yourself of..." & "Get rid of"!

2. Be Renewed in the Mind
- God does not just want to change our ways, but the attitude of our minds.

- It is a Passive Process, meaning it requires us to be willing.

Romans 12:2 'Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.'

3. Put on the New Self
- Live like the Lord will live.

- Romans 13:12-14 'Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ.'

- Living a holy life is more than not sinning. Being righteous means

>stopping the sin

>and working with our all to do what God wants us to do for others.

Monday, March 12, 2007

Jabez Prayers. Jabez Moments.

1 Chronicles 4:9-10


Jabez was more honorable than his brothers.
His mother had named him Jabez, saying, "I gave birth to him in pain."
Jabez cried out to the God of Israel,
"Oh, that You would bless me and enlarge my territory!
Let Your hand be with me,
and keep me from harm
so that I will be free from pain."
And God granted his request.


The Lord truly understood how i felt burdened last week. And at His divine moment last Thursday, He led me to pray the Jabez prayer with a new strong convicted passion, lifting me up in the process. And at His divine appointment yesterday, He enlarged Novie's and my territory, and gave me awesome uplifting faith.

Just in a span of 3 days, the first exciting Jabez moment came.

God's heartcry for Fion (Dina's aunty. Sorry i wrote cousin yesterday, cos she is only 27 heh.) is bigger than what He has deposited in Novie and me. But our hearts aligned, that is why God offered that divine opportunity.

And Dina, you played a part too! You so passionately invited us to your house at the right timing! God must have led you. And to the rest of you who also prayed the Jabez prayer with me, your prayers moved God's hand.

As you can see, like i said yesterday, GOD WILL ANSWER, in His own ways. We had no agenda for Fion at all when we went to Dina's house (only agenda was to eat good food. Haha). All we did was to obey when the opportunity came, and partner with the Holy Spirit.

We believe that Fion cried while we prayed, not because she was touched by our words. She was touched by the Spirit. Let's continue to uphold her in prayer in faith! We will see her in church soon! =)

Pray the Jabez for yourself, and me! I am doing so for you!

Thursday, March 8, 2007

A testimony from my life

Hee click on the image below to read the story behind my picture.

"May you be blessed by my testimony!" =)

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

It is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20:35b)

May i quote from Novie's sharing about her very first serving at Hospitality (HT) last Sunday:

"I did not feel comfortable at the thought of it at first. But today as i served, i felt a lot of joy in me as i did the work."
Gals, I was so glad to be serving along with all of you on Sunday, whether you were in HT or Security. I know that when we serve with one heart and one love for one God, we will be touched and blessed by God in amazing ways. It may be a seemingly simple gift of joy (like what Novie and Dina had shared), but God is actually telling us this,


"Thank you My daughters for serving Me and My people. Thank you for extending My hand of love and acceptance and security to them."

That day i observed how Novie was serious and focused on her duty. And once again I recognised Meiqi's dedicated faithfulness to her security for the past year.

I also want to affirm Dina for taking that step of obedience to 'try out' the HT (her 1st time too!) even though she felt a little fearful when i first informed her she would be on HT. =)

Some photos and thanksgiving for our cluster family at HT at our cluster blog:
http://dreamersmoversshakers.blogspot.com/2007/03/check-out-my-slide-show.html

Friday, March 2, 2007

Sermon 25feb: Know Your Enemy & SIT-WALK-STAND!

For those of you who missed it, please go to FCBC Sermons Online to hear/view it. I forked out time yesterday for it, and was thankful that Ps Khong painted a clearer picture of our enemy for me, and prepared me to put on every piece of my Armor in the coming weeks.

Some of my key learning points (which i think it's important for you to know & be prepared, soldiers!) from
'Know Your Enemy - Living Bold in Spiritual Battle'
Key Verses: Ephesians 6:10-13

1. Three Truths about satan
a. Satan is Alive.
Our greatest problems are in the Supernatural. But the devil tries to deceive us that our problem is in the natural, while he deals with us in the supernatural. Really crafty.

b. Satan is Active.
He is actively looking for opportunities to attack/destroy us and rob us of God's blessing for our lives. Sometimes he does this by giving us the GOOD things to distract us from the BEST. Ephesians 5:15-16 tells us that our days are filled with the evil plots of the devil.


c. Satan is Able and Powerful. (He is no pussycat)
1 Peter 5:8 he 'prowls around like a roaring lion'.
If the devil cannot lead us to destruction, the Bible will not warn us.

How powerful?
> he is not omnipotent (all-powerful); only God is.
BUT he is more powerful than us because he moves in the spiritual realm.

> he is not omniscient (knows everything); only God is.
BUT he knows more than us; he's been around since Adam was created!
We cannot rely on our understanding and wisdom to fight him.

> he is not omnipresent (exists everywhere concurrently); only God is.
BUT he has many different little demons to be all over the place, reporting to him about us.
And he still has more freedom than us, because he moves in the spiritual realm.

2. Thus, in order to overcome the devil, we need the spiritual means
- Actively put on EVERY piece of the Armor of God.
-Not one piece can be missing!


Firstly we must
a. SIT tight - Rest in Christ's victory, know our position in Christ (We are seated with Christ in heaven - Ephesians 2:1-6)

b. WALK Right
Ephesians 4:25-32 When we walk right, the devil has no opportunity.
- Every sin is an open invitation to the devil. And he will come.
- Whereas A righteous man/woman is a powerful weapon.

We can Sit tight and Walk right, but the devil will still attack us. That's his calling. Heh. Therefore,

c. STAND and Fight him. RESIST the devil and he will flee from us.
We are covered by the blood of Jesus.
If we do not walk in devious ways, we can resist him and stand against every accusation and opposition from him, and tell him to go.

[Full sermon online]

Thursday, March 1, 2007

My Prayer & Thanksgiving for each of you

Ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.

17
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better.


18
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints,
19 and His incomparably great power for us who believe.

That power is like the working of His mighty strength,
20 which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.

(Ephesians 1:15-23)


14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom His whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.

16
I pray that out of His glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

20 Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, 21 to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen
.

(Ephesians 3:14-21)