Returned over the weekend to Sydney, arriving Sunday and ministered in COG Sydney. The weather was lovely on Sunday but on Monday (yesterday) and today (8th Dec) it is much hotter than in Singapore. Stayed away from computer and work for the whole of Monday – need to refresh the mind with other things (did some light reading). Had a good long rest on Monday night and woke up to sweltering heat late morning today. Still adjusting to the three hour difference after spending 18 days straight in Singapore. Run some errands yesterday and today. I hope to catch up with all my emails today.
The message of Saturday and Sunday on the presence of God still lingers in my mind and heart (preached on Endtime tying up to the Holy Spirit in Singapore and Secrets to powerful prayers in Sydney – this message will be repeated for recording in Overnight prayers in Singapore in more details). The presence of God is always with us 24 hours and it is we who need to be aware of His presence rather than God needing to make His presence felt. James 4:7-8 – after resisting the devil, when we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. Part of the drawing near to God is our awareness of His presence. There are varying degrees of God’s manifest presence to us and we need to flow with whatever level is being manifest. Being aware of His presence and anointing 24 hours is wonderful, you could feel your body and soul responding to His presence whenever the mind and thoughts meditate on His everlasting love and presence. I know God thinks of us all the time but it seems experientially like each time you think of God, He thinks of you. No matter how vast His creation, God has personal time for each of us. It is like the rising or setting sun watched over the sea; the light rays make a direct path on the surface of the sea towards us no matter how many people are watching the sun. Each received their personal and experiential ray of light directed towards the place where they are watching the sun from. Which is why I love the ocean and the sound of the ocean and sea. It speaks of God’s love and vastness. It is good to feel how small we are from the perspective of God’s creation – we are less than one atom on one grain of sand in the vast ocean of God’s creation and love. From time to time our ego (or self consciousness) needs to meditate on this perspective to keep us humble before God.
It is also important to lift our hands up before God both as surrender and also as a sacrifice and offering before the Lord. Paul advised that men (including women, of course) should pray with lifted hands without fear and doubt (1 Timothy 2:8). Although it is the heart that matters most, it is a posture that is ideal for releasing the dimension of the spiritual forces (example, like laying hands on the sick) similar to the fact that it is more conducive in the natural to sit at the table and eat our food (rather than walking or standing). There is power in lifting up hands similar to power in laying on hands. Our body and physical structure is created such. In the Old Covenant the lifting up of hands was like the evening sacrifice (Psalm 141:2). It took the Israelites much preparation to have the daily evening sacrifice and David found a methodology of lifting up his hands before God each evening in his worship equivalent to the hard work of preparing the sacrifice (which were done daily by the priests). It is part of the methodology ordained of God to release His presence in a place as much as the methodology He ordained for laying hands on the sick. The early Charismatic revival had a freshness to the lifting up of hands which sometimes is lost in the modern Pentecostal and charismatic churches. Such needs to be maintained.
May the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit continue strong on each one. Papa God, we pray that You would manifest Your presence to each of our loved ones, friends and partners in the ministry and stu