Calling Upon the Lord

It’s so good to be in God’s presence and also amongst a group of like minded believers trusting God for healing. Today I found such a group at Elpizo, DUMC, Dream Centre in Section 13, PJ started by Sherri Lim who wrote the book “There is Hope”. Actually, I have resisted going since I was attending Deeper Life Seminar. It just did not seem right to be so “kiasu” (scared to lose) and “kiasi” (scared to die). But still curiosity got the better of me and when Lai Ping invited me to go today, I decided to check it out.

It’s a bit like the Full Gospel Businessmen’s meeting that I have attended but this is specially catered to those diagnosed with cancer and they also have a doctor on standby (well at least they had one today) and they introduce books and products (Sherri said she is not advertising just recommending products that she feels would be good given her experience with breast cancer twice) to help us along this journey. Today, Elpizo gave out lemongrass granules. Just when I am prompted to take lemongrass water! It started with my mum telling me to take lemongrass then Audrey actually came forward with bags of lemongrass tea, then my mum came over with fresh lemongrass and now this, I feel it is a sure sign from God to continue taking lemongrass water! (I found a lazy way to make the tea from fresh lemongrass. After washing and cutting them to smaller strips, I throw them in the blender with a big knob of tumeric with some water. Then I simply empty it out into a pot, add more water and let it simmer for about 15 minutes. Saves me all the hammering and pounding with the back of the butcher’s knife!)

Back to Elpizo, they normally have a prayer session for each individual. Ps Julia Wong from Glad Tidings prayed with her gift of word of knowledge meaning when she prayed God gave her insights into our lives to encourage us.

1 Corinthians 12: 7,8
"Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit…"

This is the part everyone gets skeptical by the word/ message of knowledge but I guess only you yourself can tell whether it is genuine since the word speaks to you personally. And for me, it did today.

When pastor gave me a bible verse, it surprised me. It was John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Hey, that's what I just blogged last week (What Jesus Did For Us at the Cross) and she mentioned it again. She spoke life to me that I have life and have life more abundantly. She sees me floating in the river of life. She asked me to just rest in the Lord, enjoy His presence and flow with Him. The more I struggle, I will drown. She asked me to cast all my frustrations and disappointments to Him and just flow down the river with Him.

Interestingly; river, Jesus, His blood and I date back very far. To God, it was even before I was born but for me, it dates back to when I was about 7 years old. I had a dream that my standard one school mates and I crossed this bridge over a flowing river and we were very careful not to fall into it but I did! The river turned red and Jesus rose up from the river, picked me up and tickled me and I woke up! It was one of the scariest dream I ever had but now I know it means that He is always there for me to rescue me when I fall. It has turned into a consoling dream. So, for the pastor to share this vision of hers is really personal to me. I cried so much but when she told me to rest in Him, I just felt God’s peace flow through me. How awesome was the presence of God.

The Pastor also shared Jeremiah 33: 2,3

"This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it—the LORD is his name: 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.

Whenever I praise Him, I would normally break down and cry but it is only a few days back that I realized that this is the time to talk to God because here I am - in HIS presence, I am in heaven before His throne of grace with Jesus next to me and just this knowledge has made me pour out all my woes to Him even more and really calling out to the Lord. I am comforted by this passage that God WILL answer me and He has answered me. In my quiet time, I sense Him telling me, "Just stay close to me and believe". Today, He also tells me to rest in Him and not struggle, to just flow with Him for after all, He knows what is best for me. And all this time of waiting is a time of preparation for me for which He will show me new things.

Thank you Lord, for today’s visit to Elpizo and being with You and enjoying Your presence. You are indeed an awesome God. Your ways are higher than my ways. I will rest in You. Thank you for Your life that You have given me. Thank you for the assurance of Your river of life. I receive it fully. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.