The Power of the Spoken Word
by Brother Teik
Tonight, brother Teik shares with us his precious daily practice of confessing his faith. We are happy to share his set of 5 declarations here for your reflection and use. Brother Teik prays these at the start and close of the day. What a beautiful way to open and close the day!
I also took the opportunity to do a quick search of the scriptures on the power of the spoken word, and leave the following verses with you:
First of all, God speaks the universe into existence! Genesis 1:3 - Then God said, "Let there be light, and there was light".
Mark 11:22-23 - [Jesus says] That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
John 6:63 - [Jesus says] The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.
Proverbs 18:21 The tongue [spoken word] has the power of life and death.
(1) Taken from Dr. David Yonggi-Cho's 4th Dimensional Living in 3rd Dimensional World (pg.18-19)
I believe in Jesus Christ, my personal Saviour and Lord
I received forgiveness through the precious blood of Jesus Christ
I believe in the Holy Spirit who sanctifies me
I believe I shall be healed from sickness
I believe I shall be blessed
I believe in the Resurrection and in everlasting life in heaven
and I believe I'm a citizen of God.
(2) From Brain Bailey's 'Heaven's Glories and the Untold Terrors of Hell' (pg. 202)
Dear Lord, forgive me for my backsliding. Draw me again to You and graciously receive me. Strengthen me and cause me to walk in Thy ways, never again to leave the pathway of righteousness. Amen.
(3) A hymn by Lemmel from the Methodist Hymnal
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of the earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.
(4) At the Close of Day (prayer)
O Lord my God, I thank thee that thou has brought this day to its close. I thank thee that thou dost give rest to body and soul. Thy hand has been over me, guarding me and preserving me.
Forgive my feeble faith and all the wrong I have done this day, and help me to forgive all who have wronged me.
Grant that I may sleep in peace beneath thy care and defend me from the temptations of darkness. Into thy hands I commend my loved ones, I commend this household, I commend my body and soul. O God, thy holy name be praised. Amen.
(5) The prayer of Saint Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace
Where there is hatred, let me sow love
Where there is injury, pardon
Where there is doubt, faith
Where there is despair, hope
Where there is darkness, light
And where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console
To be understood, as to understand
To be loved, as to love
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
22 May 2009
Not by Might, nor by Power...
Reflections on Jeremiah 17:5-8
This evening, we looked at Jeremiah 17:5-8. It talks of two kinds of people - those who trust in human beings and those who trust in God. Or, those who make flesh their strength vs those whose hope is in God.
The truth is, most people have this inclination of trusting in the strength of their flesh. Let's face it - it's a human tendency. We tend to believe in the seen and heard, and find it hard to believe by faith that which is unseen and not very obvious to our natural senses.
The men of God in the bible all had a distinctive quality - they trusted in God, even against huge and impossible odds. We immediately think of King Jehoshaphat and Gideon.
The Prayer of Jehoshaphat is worth meditating on (2 Chronicles 6-12). Perhaps you might like to consider doing this as a personal reflection for the week. As we examine and unpack Jehoshaphat’s prayer, we will find 3 stages, or principles. The first thing Jehoshaphat does in his prayer is he initiates praise; secondly, he identifies the problem, and thirdly, he implores God for help. You may wish to check out the following link for a good study guide on Jehoshaphat's Prayer. http://www.reformedtheology.ca/2chronicles20.htm
"Gideon & his Valiant Three Hundred" is the other remarkable story. God chose Gideon, a young man from an otherwise unremarkable clan from the tribe of Manasseh, to free the people of Israel and to condemn their worship of idols. Gideon started off with 32,000 men in his army. Ironically, God couldn't act when Gideon had this many. It was cut to 10,000, then finally to a mere 300. Could you imagine how Gideon, a rather tentative character, actually felt about being in this situation? His faith prevailed in the end, and the battle was won with 300.
From Jehoshaphat and Gideon, we learn 2 important perspectives -
(a) The battle is not yours but the Lord's. (2 Chronicles 20:15)
(b) The victory is not gained by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord of Hosts. (Zech 4:6)
We had a good time of sharing this evening, and some key points emerged:
(a) God often gives us challenges and problems that are well beyond us, so that we can learn to trust Him. Indeed, it's usually the case that only when we have come to the end of ourselves that God begins to act. (He's really not in a hurry!)
(b) The simple disciplines of praying and reading the word are paramount and contain the secret to moving mountains! We call these 'disciplines' precisely because it's common to neglect these practices, and we really have to be intentional about it. Start by doing a little each day - do it no matter how little and whether we feel like it or not. God is pleased even if we take very small steps in the right direction, and He will enlarge our steps as we faithfully go along.
(c) The daily act of declaring God's Word and promises ushers the reality of God into our lives. (Teik practices this diligently and will teach us some of his daily declarations this coming Friday!) The world competes with God all the time for our attention, and vey often, we succumb to the attractions this world offers. We trust things that we can see, hear and touch. Actually, God is as real as these things, and it takes someone with a sensitised and awakened spirit to sense God standing next to you all this while. As we press in daily, we will become more sensitive to the presence and leading of God's Spirit. It's worth it and exciting - so let's all press in!
Have a blessed and victorious week! Remember to carve out a little time each day for reflection and pause a little to regain some perspective.
Reflections on Jeremiah 17:5-8
This evening, we looked at Jeremiah 17:5-8. It talks of two kinds of people - those who trust in human beings and those who trust in God. Or, those who make flesh their strength vs those whose hope is in God.
The truth is, most people have this inclination of trusting in the strength of their flesh. Let's face it - it's a human tendency. We tend to believe in the seen and heard, and find it hard to believe by faith that which is unseen and not very obvious to our natural senses.
The men of God in the bible all had a distinctive quality - they trusted in God, even against huge and impossible odds. We immediately think of King Jehoshaphat and Gideon.
The Prayer of Jehoshaphat is worth meditating on (2 Chronicles 6-12). Perhaps you might like to consider doing this as a personal reflection for the week. As we examine and unpack Jehoshaphat’s prayer, we will find 3 stages, or principles. The first thing Jehoshaphat does in his prayer is he initiates praise; secondly, he identifies the problem, and thirdly, he implores God for help. You may wish to check out the following link for a good study guide on Jehoshaphat's Prayer. http://www.reformedtheology.ca/2chronicles20.htm
"Gideon & his Valiant Three Hundred" is the other remarkable story. God chose Gideon, a young man from an otherwise unremarkable clan from the tribe of Manasseh, to free the people of Israel and to condemn their worship of idols. Gideon started off with 32,000 men in his army. Ironically, God couldn't act when Gideon had this many. It was cut to 10,000, then finally to a mere 300. Could you imagine how Gideon, a rather tentative character, actually felt about being in this situation? His faith prevailed in the end, and the battle was won with 300.
From Jehoshaphat and Gideon, we learn 2 important perspectives -
(a) The battle is not yours but the Lord's. (2 Chronicles 20:15)
(b) The victory is not gained by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord of Hosts. (Zech 4:6)
We had a good time of sharing this evening, and some key points emerged:
(a) God often gives us challenges and problems that are well beyond us, so that we can learn to trust Him. Indeed, it's usually the case that only when we have come to the end of ourselves that God begins to act. (He's really not in a hurry!)
(b) The simple disciplines of praying and reading the word are paramount and contain the secret to moving mountains! We call these 'disciplines' precisely because it's common to neglect these practices, and we really have to be intentional about it. Start by doing a little each day - do it no matter how little and whether we feel like it or not. God is pleased even if we take very small steps in the right direction, and He will enlarge our steps as we faithfully go along.
(c) The daily act of declaring God's Word and promises ushers the reality of God into our lives. (Teik practices this diligently and will teach us some of his daily declarations this coming Friday!) The world competes with God all the time for our attention, and vey often, we succumb to the attractions this world offers. We trust things that we can see, hear and touch. Actually, God is as real as these things, and it takes someone with a sensitised and awakened spirit to sense God standing next to you all this while. As we press in daily, we will become more sensitive to the presence and leading of God's Spirit. It's worth it and exciting - so let's all press in!
Have a blessed and victorious week! Remember to carve out a little time each day for reflection and pause a little to regain some perspective.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
8 May 09
'Love One Another'
This evening, there was no agenda other than just coming together and catching up. It was a return to the basics of fellowship... where we gathered just to share hearts and be there for one another.
Everyone shared what's going well in their lives and what's been challenging, and we joined hands and entreated of the Lord together.
Some of us shared afterwards that it seemed we are growing closer and our corporate prayer seems to have taken on a new quality and momentum. I was heartened by this comment.
It is such a joy and privilege to share lives. When we do, we almost feel that we were made for this.
The Godhead is a community, and community is indeed the ultimate pattern for living. Jesus movingly exhorted... "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35)
This evening, there was no agenda other than just coming together and catching up. It was a return to the basics of fellowship... where we gathered just to share hearts and be there for one another.
Everyone shared what's going well in their lives and what's been challenging, and we joined hands and entreated of the Lord together.
Some of us shared afterwards that it seemed we are growing closer and our corporate prayer seems to have taken on a new quality and momentum. I was heartened by this comment.
It is such a joy and privilege to share lives. When we do, we almost feel that we were made for this.
The Godhead is a community, and community is indeed the ultimate pattern for living. Jesus movingly exhorted... "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35)
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