Finally, the finals and the busy hectic life is over. I was able to breathe again! *phew*
Yesterday, as I was traveling back to Taiping in the car, I was caught up with thinking about a lot of things in life. A lot of recent happenings, and how I have learned so much from it. Uh. And I was also reading Harvest Times. An article by Dr. Yonggi Cho especially impacted me inside out in the car, that I began visualizing and reviving the old dreams. Not that that they were gone, but reading the article refreshed the big picture!
As Shirley had been very busy preparing for her wedding, there were tons of things she needed to be handled. She was amazing. Throughout the period of her wedding preparation, I wasn't involved in the events planning. But, as I was talking to her, I knew her vision, and the certain things that she was going through in the crucial period of her time...wow..not easy. There had been some hiccups here and there, not in her wedding (hmm..maybe there are some minor decision making here and there, that i'm not sure)....but in the life of the people she was taking care of.
Seeing how she stood by her vision even when it is understandable if she breaks just for a few minutes (but she did not give in at all!)...was really inspiring.
Looking back at all the hiccups I have to deal with in campus outreach, sometimes I am desperate for God to just come down and take everything into hand. "Come, God...show the people you are real! Then everything is solved. I don't need to work so hard or get discouraged or crack my head anymore!"...i said. LOL...God can do that I know...but I believe He wants to use the people in the campus. Using lives to change lives. With that, it can be evident that God is living in the INSIDE of us.
I was talking to one of the church leaders the other day. She was talking about the issues that were going on in campuses and her cell group. How local university students were so much simpler and easier to engage. Well, I talked to Shirley about this. She told me one thing: "Hazel, you have no idea how many many years ago, professors, lecturers, students from local universities come together, praying praying and praying, breaking the and plouging the ground...and now it is so easy because they are reaping the fruits from the previous batch of people who engaged so deeply for their campus. you are only seeing the fruits. Likewise, for you...in your campus. That is the reason why I asked you to adhere to the two pillars...to pray and then only to evangelize. You have to prepare and break the ground. Then, it would be easier for the generations after that."
Wow...I was inspired. I honestly didn't know that :)) I am dying to share this with my outreach members. Wanting to tell them to keep going and keeping the big picture in mind. Shirley taught a group of us another thing the other day over the breakfast table. I am amazed how she can continuously impact the lives of others with her words, with just the short time she had with us. She was so busy! But yet when she shared, it seemed like you have sat with her for the WHOLE DAY. You just naturally draw so much.
She was sharing about the stronghold in a city. Whereby in the enemy's kingdom, there is a very very very structured and orderly system...in fact more orderly than the human world. The "Stronghold" is like the zone supervisor. Taking care of the city...each city had different strongholds (that's why God works through changing city. you conquer the stronghold, you conquer the city)...and underneath it would be the many many other small little "soldier", each taking its own role. As in the campuses, the deceitful spirit would be that of the wisdom of the world. Whereby every wisdom obtained is used to counter and refuse the existence of God. That is what we have been facing in most of our campuses. People question the need of God. And it is really not easy to break.
Nonetheless, three of us especially, did not give up. We kept doing what we were suppose to do. Every week just pray and pray. To break and bind all the other power that is not from God. To prepare the ground. True enough, there had been a lot of open doors. I personally find it really very difficult to invite people to events without them feeling threatened or suspicious of my intention. People always give me the reaction..."Hazel no way I am going to attend any church events. Don't think I do not know your intention"...some were very skeptical. Well, can't blame them. I am known to be very active in church activities. Who could blame what suspicions they have?
However, these days as we fervently gather to pray, there had been breakthrough in the atmosphere. I personally find there were more openings where I can get involved personally in the lives of my other friends (believers or non believers alike). There were outings that I could join, there were people opening up to me about their problems. And from there, I engaged...and it became so much easier. I have also learned tremendously from these friends recently. Somehow previously it didn't occur to me that bonding of relationship could be the KEY to people feeling less threatened!
So as I was saying, I was reading this article about the power of words in life. Scientist recently found that the speech area in your brain governs the nerves in your body. So whatever you speaks, your life will react according to it. Dr. Yonggi Cho was talking about how last time when he preached, he used to have pictures of people healing and he thought it was the enemy's ploy. So he rebuked those thoughts in Jesus' Name because it was distracting to his preaching in services. Nonetheless, God told him this one day: that the presence of God, the Holy Spirit is in his church. But nothing could happen, the Holy Spirit cannot work unless he SPEAKS! So whenever he speaks, the Holy Spirit begin to work (healing works) and people get healed. Those pictures were revelation from God those who were being healed. God was just wanting him to acknowledge the healing and testify to the rest in the congregation.
Likewise, before God created earth. Holy Spirit was already incubating there. But no creation were formed. until GOD speaks! So it was the same here. Knowing this, it was really inspiring to me. I just imagined myself praying, and preparing allowing the Holy Spirit to incubate in my campus. And when I begin to speak, then the work could happen! How cool is that?! The Holy Spirit needs us to speak so that He can work. Likewise with preaching in cell group. So we cannot take the word lightly. It is the basis where the spirit can work. That is why one evidence for Christians when they receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit is to speak in tongue! It means the Holy Spirit is already taking control of your tongue. And when we work according to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, He will work on the basis and foundation of the word we speak forth!
So speak forth, people! It brings life! And one more thing I learned was the fourth dimension. About how Dr. Cho was engaging in the fourth dimension, which is working through visions and dreams. Dr. Cho, since the Holy Spirit worked through that dimension, visions and dreams, he began using the fourth dimension to overrule what was going on in the third dimension (the real physical world) when he was praying one time. And as he was engaging himself there, he was imagining the solution to the problem, he was imagining a healing of a broken relationship of one of his church members who was at the verge of divorcing his wife. As he imagined...he told God...yes God...let it be that way. And he left to see that member of his.
As he was there, stepping into the apartment, the atmosphere communicated tension and hatred among the husband and wife. Then, the couple began hurling insults on one another. Both were right in their own opinions. Dr. Cho felt sandwiched in between. Both agreed that their relationship was beyond repair, and they wanted divorce. They didn't want Dr. Cho to reconcile them, but they just wanted him to pray blessing for their divorce. Dr.Cho amazingly just held both of their hands together and began to speak of words of binding all hatred and the ploy of the enemy. commanding both of them to be reconciled and be joined as one. tears just began streaming down the couple's face the moment he said that.
Dr. Cho then said in the magazine, he already overruled the broken relationship in the third dimension in his fourth dimension. So what was needed was a word from him...then the Holy Spirit can work! And it did! the weekend, the couple told Dr. Cho that as he spoke, both of them felt a wall being broken and they didn't even know why they fought so much in the first place. now they are more in love than ever.
Wow...Now, imagine us doing that in campus outreach. Having the faith and the courage to speak. I really feel I should implement this. With words, lives and things can change because the Holy Spirit is given a ground to work with. I am so excited and psyched over this.
And for the vision and dreams to keep going on, we really need to know what to imagine so that the Holy Spirit can work according to our fourth dimension and overrule our third dimension! Here are the slides of what I have been imagining all the time since I started outreach. We really need prayers to break the bondage of the wisdom in the world...that eyes may be opened to what is true and real.
Outreach members. As small in numbers as we may be, let's begin to engage the fourth dimension and to use our tongues to speak forth faith, life...creating the foundation for the working of God. Here are some pictures for us to imagine and visualize on. If we can all be united to do that...there will be an awesome breakthrough! I really believe that. I am seeing that. It shall come to pass..
Don't give up! =)) we are not alone.
The Early Birds
The Registration Counter - Nicky, Annie, Christy and Ann
my beautiful, anointed girls with amazing Joanna
The Team
The "Kalah" People
Jireh and Matthew comparing the bounciness of their tummies
Game time
Charis teaching about prayer
The people I am always proud of =))
