Author Archives: MamaTAWK

Pressing The Pause Button

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When we see what Jesus sees and hear what the Holy Spirit says, we will pause what we are doing and do something not done before.

Peter and John prayed for the crippled man to be healed and saw no change.  Being the disciples of Jesus they prayed for at least 3 1/2 years.  They heard his cry for money but were not able to help him since they quit their fishing job and had no income.  Their unanswered prayers and inability to be a blessing may have bothered them (Acts 3).

On this particular day they stopped before entering the temple to pray.  Something was stirring in them.  They had to press the pause button on prayer.  They had to pause and address this man’s need.  But why did they do this?  Did they have something to give?  Did they go back fishing and get a big catch?  Did they receive an inheritance or win a lottery?  No, they received something greater, the baptism of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2).

The transforming power of the Holy Spirit was at work in them.  Peter, who denied being a follower of Jesus to a servant girl, stood boldly before the crowd and declared that all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Acts 2:21).  They started to listen to the Holy Spirit who reminded them of Jesus’ words (John 14:26).  Anyone who has faith in Jesus will do what he did and even greater things (John 14:12,13).

They started to see people with Jesus’ perspective.  They realized Jesus’ power and authority was in them.  Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you.  In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk” (Acts 3:6).  Peter and John had the power and authority Jesus gave them.

Lord, help me to press the pause button on my religious activities and deepen my relationship with You.  My prayer is that I will see and hear You the way You see and hear the Father.  I need to press the pause button on peoples’ opinions and fear of men, and give away what I have (You).

 

Previous blogs from Act 3:  Look At Me and Crippled Beggar’s Thanksgiving

 

 

Walking Unaware

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God reminded us, during fasting prayer, that we may be unaware of the answer to our prayers.

Peter followed the angel out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision (Acts 12:9).

Peter was not aware of what was happening while he walked out of the prison with the angel.  He thought he was seeing a vision.  He walked past the first and second set of guards, out of the iron-gate, and the length of one street before he knew he was walking in freedom.  God wants us to reach certain places before He gives us full understanding of our answers.  Our confusions, doubts and discouragements could cloud our awareness, but He walks with us until we reach that place.  The angel walked with Peter to a safe distance before he disappeared.  Then it dawned on Peter, he came to himself and knew without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel to rescue him (Acts 12:11,12).  Trust, He is walking with us to our answers.

The church was not aware that their prayer was answered while Peter walked into freedom.  They continued to pray through the night.  We may be still in the dark about the answers while our prayers are being answered.  Believe, the answers are on the way.

When the servant girl told them Peter was at the door, they responded with doubt and criticism.  God has answered our prayers through His Word.  Hear the promise knocking, walk towards the sound (Voice) and open to see the answer .  Faith opens the door to the answers.  

Daniel’s prayer was answered instantly, the moment he decided to know God and humbled himself, but he was unaware of the answer and continued to fast and pray for 21 days (Daniel 10:12).  Sometimes the enemy gets in the way.  He may try to intercept our answer but God fights the battle for us.  What God sent will reach its destination for sure.  Pray and praise through until we get the answer (The Circle Maker- Mark Batterson).

Whether we are in a daze like Peter, in the dark like the church or our answers are detained like Daniel’s, God wants us to give thanks as we pray and petition.  Paul and Silas gave thanks while in prison, and exhorted the saints in Philippi (Philippians 4:6) to give thanks before receiving the answers.

Our unawareness of the way God works will not negate the truth that God is at work.    

What Is Your Proverb?

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Some statements are repeated so often that they become a by word or a proverb.

While I was reading Ezekiel 12, God convicted me of my negative sayings that have become proverbs.  Some of my proverbs are I can’t, I am shy, I don’t know the dos and don’ts, what if I make a mistake, what if I offend someone, or use others because they are better.  

I want to share how God put an end to one of my proverbs.  I had a desire for the women of ICF to have closer relationship with each other and God. Some of us ladies asked the Pastor if we could start a gathering to get all the women involved. He turned around and told us to start it ASAP.  FYI, for those who bring suggestions, be ready to act.  While I prayed, I reminded God my list of proverbs.  But God promised that His strength is all I need.  Then I came up with new proverbs, Lord I am not a leader plus I don’t have the passion to lead the group.  His reply was, “I’m not looking for a leader but a follower, a follower of the Holy Spirit.”  Whenever I prayed to be led by the Spirit, I didn’t expect the answer to be an opportunity to learn how to follow the Holy Spirit.  Basically, I wanted something (friendship, fellowship with God, people) without the work.  He put an end to my excuses.  God’s love and faithfulness allows us to be used for His purposes while we are still in training.

Ezekiel 12 talks about the terrible judgment that was coming upon Jerusalem.  Since it did not happen for a long time people were saying, it won’t happen, “The days are long and every vision fails” (Ezekiel 12:22).  God had enough of those proverbs and was ready to put an end to them.  Do you have similar proverbs?   I’m doing fine without God, I’m not good enough, I turned my back on God for too long, I still have time, there is no God, no judgment, no Heaven or Hell.  God is ready to put an end to your excuses.  His grace will never give up, His love will never leave you where you are.  Judgment is imminent, Redemption is immediate, Today is the day of Salvation!

Lord, put an end to all our proverbs and help us to not hide our disobedience with excuses anymore.

 

From Applause to Standing Ovation

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God appreciates and acknowledges our applause (thanksgiving) but He is moved by our standing ovation (praise and worship).

A standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up after an extraordinary performance or an enthusiastic recognition of a person as he enters or exits.  A few months ago, in my personal time of worship, the Lord brought this picture to my mind.

Picture yourself in an arena or a stadium waiting to honor someone you adore.  There is laughter, conversations and the sound of noisemakers; it’s an atmosphere of celebration.  As the honoree walks onto the stage, everyone applauds to welcome the person.  He acknowledges and takes a seat.  While the speaker introduces the person and talks about his contributions to society, people applaud on and off.  Almost everyone in the crowd has a personal story to tell.  The speaker finishes his speech with a touching personal story of his own.  The audience applauds once again in appreciation.  Some go beyond applause and start to whistle and a few others start to shout what the person meant to them.  Before long the crowd is on their feet clapping, whistling and shouting with joy.  The honoree waves his hand in acknowledgment.  As the crowd goes wild, he stands up and waves his hand again to acknowledge them.  

Every child of God has a personal story to tell about what Jesus has done.  Our spontaneous outbursts of praise and worship will encourage others to worship God.  Psalms 68:1 says, may God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him (KJV).  Imagine God rising up from His throne as we worship.  We read in 2 Chronicles; when people worshiped, God moved and the enemies fled.

King Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness when they faced the enemies.  As they began to sing and praise, the Lord moved, he set ambushes against the men of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir (2 Chronicles 20).

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise (Psalms 100:4a). Our Lord is worthy to receive a standing ovation not just a clap offering.  Enter the Holy of Holies by the blood of Jesus and worship the King of Kings.  

Mama’s Conversation with God

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Few weeks ago Mama heard a message, “The Valley Of The Dry Bones” (Ezekiel 37).  During the sermon the pastor mentioned that people outside of Christ are spiritually dead and people inside the church who don’t obey the Word are also dead.  At the end of the sermon he invited those who need prayer to come forward.  Mama had a few things on her mind and wanted prayer but was reluctant to go forward.  As she debated, she had this conversation with God.

God:  Aren’t you going to respond to my invitation? I am waiting to breathe life into you.

Mama: Yes Lord, I want to, but what will the people think? And what if the pastor asks me what my request is?  I’m not sure how to articulate it.

God:  This is exactly what he meant when he said people inside the church who don’t obey God’s word are also dead.  If you don’t allow me to breathe into you, then that area is dying and will soon be dead.  You have all the excuses for disobedience.

Mama:  But God I obey you.  I have accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I have obeyed in baptism, I tithe, give offering and I even help in the church.  I also try to love others as much as possible.  I know I am spiritually alive because You live in me.  So what do you mean God?

God:  My Word means all My Words, not only instructions (commands) and information (promises), but also my invitations.  I just invited you to step out as an act of faith and allow me to breathe into your inability and your needs but you are not stepping out to receive it.

Basically, Mama placed an order (prayed) for things but refused to go and pick it up (receive).  Finally, mama did step out to receive.

He invites us to eat (His word), to drink (His Spirit), to give (our burdens), to be seated with Him (His authority), to receive (His peace) and to join (His work).  Most of the time we decline His invitations because other invitations are more appealing to our flesh.   

God has extended a bigger invitation to humanity, “Come, I will forgive you,” making us clean through Jesus’ righteousness (1 John 1:9).  Take a moment to say yes to His invitation.

Giving Moon Cake

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On a recent trip to Costco I saw moon cakes, which reminded me of an incident while I lived in Singapore.    

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Lotus seed paste filling around egg yolk “moon”

Moon cake is a thick filling of red bean or lotus seed paste surrounded by a thin crust.  It is eaten with Chinese tea during mid-autumn harvest festival, a festival celebrated by Singaporean Chinese.

One year during this festival, I planned to give moon cake to our laundry man as a ‘care act’ with the intention to build relationship.  This moon cake was one of the best qualities given to my husband as a gift by his supplier.

While I debated whether this would count as a care act, I took two cakes out of the box of six, placed it in a paper plate and covered with plastic wrap so the beautiful moon cake would be visible.  The doorbell rang and I greeted him, received the shirts that was washed and pressed.  Before settling the bill I gave him the moon cake.  Happily he received and said thank you.  His next question bothered me.  He asked, “You don’t like it uhhhh?” with a Singaporean accent.  He misunderstood my intention.  I gave him the money and closed the door.

Disappointed, I walked back to the living room.  Why did he make the comment, was it because it was not the whole box or was it because it was durian flavored moon cake?  I self talked to find an answer.

God stepped into the conversation.  He asked, whom do you believe, you or the laundry man and who knows your intention, you or him?  Definitely, I know my intention.  He said I know you better than you know yourself and I am pleased in your care act.  I looked for approval from men instead of God.  

Jesus knows our thoughts (Matt 12:25); God knows the secrets of the heart (Psalms 44:21).  If our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from Him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him (I John 3:21).  Let’s continue to “give moon cakes” and pray that others will be yoked with Christ. 

It was a reminder, not to let people’s comments deter my desire to do His will and not to let my emotions tamper my actions.  Doing things with the right intention brings pleasure to God and us regardless of the recipient’s acceptance, rejection or enjoyment.  In other words, our action in obedience to His commands pleases God regardless of the outcome.

Look At Me

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Peter looked straight at him, as did John.  Then Peter said, “Look at us!”  So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them (Acts 3:4,5).

In Acts 3, we read about a man, crippled from birth, who was healed by Peter and John.  Daily, his family brought him to the temple gate called Beautiful, to beg.  He saw Peter and John and asked them for money without paying much attention.  So they stopped, looked straight at him, and asked him to look at them.  We too are like this man.  We pray daily out of routine and we ask for things from Jesus without paying attention to him.  Peter did not give what he asked for but gave something else in the name of Jesus Christ.  He took him by the right hand, helped him up.  The crippled man’s ankles and feet became strong and he started to walk.  He followed them to the temple courts walking, jumping and praising God.

God’s answer of no, yes, or wait to our prayers has more than we ask.  His right hand helps us stand up and stand strong.  His answer has the power to draw us to the temple court, to His presence.  This crippled man did not get what he asked for, but in what he received he had what he asked.  He received physical healing (walking and jumping), spiritual healing (inside the temple praising God) and the ability to work (financial blessing).  Receive the no’s, yes’s and wait’s with thanksgiving and praise.  His answer always has more than what we ask for.  This crippled man looked at Peter and John and received wholeness. 

What is preventing us from looking at Jesus?  When I see a homeless person at the street corner or a veteran in front of a grocery store I try not to look.  I feel if I make eye contact I have to give them something.

Do we avoid looking at Jesus because we don’t want to give him our praise and worship but only want our needs met?  Do we stop paying attention to Jesus because our begging became a routine?  Are we unable to see Jesus because we are looking at our crippleness?

On the way to the cross Jesus turned and looked straight at Peter (Luke 22:61).  This was more than just an eye contact; this look was a reminder of the Lord’s word, repentance and restoration.  May you be completely restored as you look upon Him.  

Previous blog from this passage:  Crippled Beggar’s Thanksgiving

Back On The Chair

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For a couple of weeks I was off the wagon or slipped off the chair.  Physically and spiritually I was down which brought discouragement and hopelessness.  God seemed so far away but I was the one away from His presence.  He was exactly where He always is, seated at the right hand of God waiting for me to take my seat.  The sermon “Trusting the Shepherd,” the prayers of my friends and above all the helping hands of Jesus pulled me back to where I belonged.  When we took time to pray in church I heard these words in my spirit, “seated with Him”.  This was not what I expected in return to what I gave him.  As I meditated on this I understood the privileges of being seated with Jesus.

Being seated with Christ means I get to enjoy the same honor, authority, protection and provision.  There is a table prepared in the presence of the enemy.  Whatever I need for physical and spiritual life is spread out for me in Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:6,7 says, “And God raised me up with Christ and seated me with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.” When I was back on the seat I saw the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to me in Christ.  His grace is sufficient for me to deal with everything.  Praise God, I am back where I belong.

Letting Go

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” Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength.  However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it.  Letting go is hard, but sometimes holding on is even harder.” – Ann Landers.

A new king, who did not know Joseph, came into power in Egypt. He feared the Israelites might join his enemies to fight against him.  He assigned slave masters to oppress them to stop them from becoming numerous, but the more they were oppressed the more they grew.  So, he ordered the Hebrew midwives to kill all the boys born to the Israelites.   However, they feared God and did not carry out the king’s order.  Since this strategy did not work, the Pharaoh ordered his people to throw every Hebrew male baby into the Nile River.  In the midst of this oppression and evil a mother gives birth to a son (Exodus 1 & 2).

This mother tried to hold on to her son by hiding him for 3 months.  When she could not hide him any longer, she let him go.  Her name was Jocabed, a descendant of Levi and wife of Amram, born in Egypt under bondage and slavery.  Moses, the son she held on to as long as she could but then let go by trusting God, became the deliverer of Israel.

Qualities of Jocabed that enabled her to hold on and let go:

1. A woman of vision:  She saw that her son was a fine child (Ex. 2:2).  Her fears and tears of losing her child did not blind her vision.  The death sentence over her boy did not cloud her thoughts.  She envisioned, imagined, thought and dreamt of life instead of death.  She was a visionary.  She made a waterproof papyrus basket to safely release him into the water.

2. A woman of prayer:  The ability to design and make the basket and the timing to let go of her baby came from prayer.  Her daughter’s swiftness in showing up just as Pharaoh’s daughter drew the basket, the strategic question, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” definitely was the result of prayer.

3. A woman of determination:  She was determined to do whatever it took to keep her baby hidden; perhaps sound proofing her tent, staying up all night to keep him comfortable and quiet.

4. A woman of faith:  She wrapped her baby, put him in the basket and placed it among the reeds in the Nile River where other Hebrew children became food for the crocodiles.  Her daughter stayed back to see what happened, but Jocabed left, trusting God.

Lord, I pray for all mothers, help them grow in these qualities.  Give them strength to let their child (ren) go, to be saved, loved, comforted, protected, guided and taught by You so that they can be what You desire them to be.

God honored Jocabed’s faith, determination, prayer and the vision for her children.  She became the mother of a priest (Aaron), a worship leader (Miriam), and a leader/deliverer (Moses).

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For this Mama, 2013 is the year of letting go.  She let her son go, yet holds him close to her heart in prayer.  She has placed her daughter in the “basket of prayer” ready to let go into the arms of a Godly man.  Mama is delighted to see the daughter she let go two years ago serving God with joy.

My People Who Are Called

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If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land ( 2 Chronicles 7:14).  The night of the Boston bombing, in my sleep I was repeating the phrase, “If My people, who are called by My Name.”  I wondered why I repeated only the first part of the verse.   God wants each one of us to fill in the blanks to partner with Him for His purpose.

“If ” is a conditional word.  The if–then construct (sometimes called if–then–else) is common across many programming languages.  God used this even before all the different computer languages that we use.  For salvation, IF the world (people) accept Jesus as their Savior and make him the Lord of their lives, THEN they have eternal life with Him.  All the conditions are met by Jesus to bridge the gap between us and God.  To spread this good news He wants His people to meet certain conditions.

Man (His people) 

Yield to His purpose,

Proclaim His peace,

Envision His heart,

Occupy till He returns,

Prophesy His Word,

Love one another,

Engage in the community, connecting them to Christ.  Then, there will be life peace, harmony, and hope instead of violence, hatred and death in the land.  What is God asking of you today in order to fulfill His part?  God is saying, if you……………….., then He …………………….. (fill in the blanks).

Lord, help us to do our part to bring peace and healing to the hurting world.

*** addendum, updated April 28, 2013 ***
Pastor Jaime @ Coast Vineyard shared a key insight in today’s message: God’s Spirit is at work ahead of the church.  Peter, a Jewish man, was brought into a Gentile centurion’s life to bring salvation to his household (Acts 10).  During that time the gospel was strictly preached among Jews only. Gentiles were thought to be pagans, unclean because they did not follow Jewish laws and customs. Peter followed the leading of the Holy Spirit, ignoring religious and cultural barriers. When we are not in tune with the Holy Spirit, stereotypes (age, gender, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, education) may prevent us from being part of God’s plan.  If His people who are called by His name, “Get out of our ways and obey the Spirit,“ then He can reach out to the many ” Cornelius’ ” in our community.