Practising Faith

I'm right now on the home stretch of my Business Communication certificate program and I remember when I began in 2005.... Going back to school after exactly fifteen years of not being in a school environment was quite an experience, putting it mildly! I was terrified of failing, and even more terrified that I wouldn't understand what was being taught. But I also completely trusted that the Holy Spirit would help me to do it and I think that complete trust was what fuelled my continued sign up for each course each term, without taking the breaks that continuing education easily afforded.

Now I'm glad that as I see the light at the end of the tunnel, I've actually enjoyed it and even gotten A's in the process too! Isn't that how we are with the unknown? Fearful in the beginning and wary of what we can't see...but that is something God calls faith; being sure of what we hope for but cannot see ahead of us, and trusting it will come to pass for our good.

He promised us that He would never leave us nor forsake us and many a night as the kids slept and I did speech assignments, I would remind God of this word, just to get inspiration for a speech...it always worked. As I worried less (which has always been an easy ministry for me) and trusted and rested more, I found myself getting the hang of it...this faith thing I mean. It takes practising on the little things like my speech assignments, to have faith for the big things, like His long-standing promises for my life eventually coming to pass. I believe our faith actually stretches and grows as we go through different experiences in life.

And you know the clincher that makes me determined to have faith in everything? Because I want to please God....(Hebrews 11:6) He loves to see our faith in action, it actually makes him proud of us!

Do All in Love

I remember my first job in Toronto, it was a volunteer job to gain Canadian experience and I was working in a Catholic Aid agency that distributed materials to underprivileged women in Asia. The supervisor, Sister Abby, was very nice and took me as her younger sister when she discovered I had no relatives in the city. She had genuine love for the women in the countries we sent materials to, and would often call the sister agencies over there to inquire personally about a particular woman's welfare.

She did all in love no matter the situation and I never once saw her lose her temper, even in situations I confess I would have lost mine. I really admired her long-suffering patience, but most of all the deep love you could see reflected in her countenance as she addressed different problems brought to her by the other Sisters in the agency.

Funny I had always believed this verse in I Corinthians 16:14, 'Let all you do be done in love', was hard to apply especially in situations where you were the wronged party but as I watched Sister Abby, I realized that she disciplined her staff with such deep love and a ready smile, it made me almost ashamed of my past reactions to similar situations as I watched her....she never once scolded her staff in public. Rather, she would take that person into her office, close the door, and her voice would even go lower in volume as she spoke to them.

I was brought up in a disciplined home and therefore believed that discipline was first and foremost the principal thing; but the Word says that wisdom is the principal thing. So now I've learned in situations with the children that may require my discipline, to ask Jesus to fill my heart with His love before I take any action; it helps tremendously as I then see the root need behind the action and address that first, before addressing the situation-which then is less important after the first step has been done.....it's a process worth trying.

Fullness of Time

All my waiting
has not been in vain
a lot of praying
and not without pain,
hoping and trusting
in Jesus my Lord
watching and fasting
while the enemy roared,
now that I know
the end is in sight
soon it will show
manifestations of light,
when it comes forth
it won't be sublime
they will be birthed
in the fullness of time...

JP copyright 2000

The Head Leads, the Body Follows

Here’s a simple revelation I received while reading Colossians 1:18, of which the first part says: “He also is the Head of [His] body, the church”. So here I am looking at my body and realizing that my head has the sight (eyes), discernment (brain), and makes the major decisions which my body automatically obeys. So simple, wow!

Applying that example to Christ and the Church…it just blows my mind what we can achieve as the ‘Body’ if we follow where our ‘Head’ is leading us. Try looking in one direction and walking in the opposite; exactly! Ouch! We actually automatically, without thinking go in the direction where our eyes are looking at and our brain is thinking about heading, right?

This is how I feel some days when I see the obvious path He wants me to take and I’m saying, “Lord, can’t I please take the other way?” But He’s leading me and urging me down that path and if I resist, I’ll be in pain.

So this year, I’ve once again decided to surrender to His will and go where he leads; amazing, I always think I've learnt how to surrender, until another pull in the opposite direction occurs and I remember that surrendering is a continuous process I must do everyday.

Watching the Waiter

Have you ever watched a waiter at a restaurant? It is a very enduring task; the waiter assigned to your table has to always have his eyes in your direction for any sign you may give. Sometimes he anticipates your needs by refilling your water; they are always prepared to serve you in any way...



I guess that's how we should be waiting on His promises. I have quite a few unfulfilled promises given to me by the Lord and waiting has been an expectant joy in the beginning, then as the months and years went by and the promises were unfulfilled, waiting became a task. I have to learn to be like the waiter and fix my eyes on Him as I wait so that I'll see when the sign for the arrival of the promise is given....and even as I wait, I have to be prepared to serve Him in any way He asks of me, this actually makes the time of waiting seem to pass faster.

When I think of Abraham waiting for the promise of Isaac for so many years, I know that waiting is top on the Father's list of disciplines for us to learn and grow in. But when I read the 9 chapters of his waiting period in Genesis 12 to 20....that gives me strength also as I wait, knowing that despite my mistakes along the way, He sees my heart and at the right time will bring the promises to pass.

So the next time you go to a restaurant, watch the waiter, you may learn a few more things about waiting...

New Year, New Season

Happy New Year!

2007 - A year of visitations, glory, success, changes, covenant blessing, great harvest, increasing revelations, open doors, opportunities, release of the captives, shakings, holiness, wealth transfer, downpour, finishings....

All these and more have been prophesied by His servants all over the globe but I'd like to put it all in one phrase: 'A year to get right with God'. If you haven't yet purposed in your heart to leave behind the ever-present and always-tempting cares of this world to follow Him with all your heart, soul and strength, then now is the time!

Run hard after God; take a break from the television, computer, or whatever the weakness that doth so easily beset you, and invest your time this year seeking Him.

You'll be glad you did.