Monday, April 18, 2005

Down at Your feet O Lord…


I’m sure most of us (if you have been in New Creation Church long enough), you’ll be familiar with this song ‘Down At Your Feet’. (If you’re not from NCC, please do not be offended as it’s not my intention to ‘ostracize’ you). I believe, by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit in you, that what I’m about to share will also touch your hearts.

By the way, the song goes like this:

Down at Your feet O Lord,
Is the Most High Place
In Your presence Lord,
I seek Your face
I seek Your face

Chorus:
There is no higher calling, no greater honour
Than to bow and kneel before Your throne
I’m amazed at Your glory, embraced by Your mercy
O Lord I live to worship You

You would agree most definitely with me that it is a powerful song, an awesome song! I don’t know the circumstances under which the song is written. But whatever it is, it must have been such a wonderful experience for the song-writer under the leading of the Holy Spirit.

We sang this song during last Saturday’s Young Adults Meeting (16 April 2005). And while we were all worshipping the Lord with this song, ‘images’ began flooding my head, faster than I can ask them to ‘line up’ in sequence. I might not even be able to recall some of them.

As I was worshipping, the words “Down at Your feet O Lord…is the most high place” just struck me as so powerful, so succinct yet paints the whole picture. And that’s when the ‘images’ bombarded me.

I began to ‘see’ the scenarios when people were down at His feet, for various reasons, for various purposes, with various motives. But one thing prevailed, they felt the awesome love of God, they received healing and blessings, and went away transformed, renewed, healed!

As I said, the ‘images’ came in randomly, so I’ll attempt to list as many here.

Mary “sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word” (Luke 10:39) while Martha was distracted with much serving. When Martha complained: “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

And Jesus answered and said to her,” Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10: 41-42).

The woman with the issue of blood for twelve years, went secretly to touch Jesus’s garment, ans was healed instantly. But Jesus, perceiving that power had gone out of Him, turned around and said,” Who touched My clothes?” (Mark 5:30)

And the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him.

But the Lord said to her: “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” (Luke 8:48)

The Holy Spirit must have deemed this story of the woman with the issue of blood, to be of such significance to record it in three of the four gospels (Matthew 9:18-22, Mark 5:25-34 and Luke 8:43-48).

When the Lord preached on the Beatitudes on the mountain, the disciples and multitudes sat at His feet to listen to Him teach them: “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns; yet your Heavenly Father feeds them, are you not of more value than they?”

“Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” (Matthew 6:25-34)

After Jesus had finished his sermon on the Mount, he came down and a leper came and worshipped Him, saying,” Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”

What is the leper doing in that crowd? According to Judaic Laws, the Law of Moses, he should have been isolated and he cannot come out in the open.

But he must have come and fell at His feet, arms raised in the air, the Bible says. And the Lord answered him: “I am willing; be cleansed.” (Matthew 8:2-3)

And remember Mary, Martha’s sister? She fell at Jesus’s feet and anointed them with an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil using her hair.

The Lord said to those who rebuked her actions, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.” (Matthew 26: 12-13, Mark 14:6-9, Luke 7:37-38)

This was the same Mary who had received forgiveness and the gift of no condemnation when the scribes and Pharisees caught her in adultery and brought her to Jesus to test Him. (John 8:1-11)

When, as depicted in the scenes from the Passion of the Christ, Jesus said: “He who is without a sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” (John 8:7)

And one by one, the Bible says, left the woman alone, being convicted by their conscience. We saw in Passion and I also believed, that Mary must have been dragged on her knees and she must have been crying.

Then the Lord said:” Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”

She said,” No one Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

And this woman became the only one to anoint Jesus’ feet - those feet whom she had fallen at when the world condemns her as a prostitute, an adulterer - before the Messiah’s burial.

How do we know it’s the same woman, the same Mary? Because in Luke 7:39, a Pharisee murmured within himself,” This man (referring to Jesus), if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”

Thank You Lord Jesus.

Down at Your feet O Lord, there is forgiveness.
Down at Your feet O Lord, there is no condemnation.
Down at Your feet O Lord, there is healing.
Down at Your feet O Lord, there are blessings.
Down at Your feet O Lord, there is shelter.
Down at Your feet O Lord, there is protection.
Down at Your feet O Lord, there is warmth
Down at Your feet O Lord, there is comfort.
Down at Your feet O Lord, there is peace.
Down at Your feet O Lord, there is grace.
Down at Your feet O Lord, there is love.For down at Your feet O Lord, is the Most High Place.

Thank You Lord.

Shalom.



posted by weiwen @ 4:13 PM 0 Comments

Monday, April 11, 2005

An Encounter with God? I really don't know...


Hey Blessed Beloveds,

A sister said I haven't blogged for a long time. Well, partly because I have been busy with certain stuff in ministry. Partly because I haven't been receiving any revelations or nothing to share.

I think I was starting to get affected by the fact that, like it or not, I have not found a job, and it's been three months of bumming at home. And my mum is also starting to pass comments on my bummer lifestyle.

I guess in the midst of it all, though I keep telling myself to be restful, it's difficult not to get affected.

That's why I haven't had anything to pen for a long time. Just didn't feel I was in the flow or anything. But Pastor's messages for these two weeks have been a blessing and refreshment to me.

I think in this three months of "barren-ness", I must have subconsciously lost my belief. And Pastor is right, who says "believing" is easy? When the dark clouds are gathering, when you are leaning over the edge of a precipice, it is difficult to believe, to focus on Jesus, to know that God is still there with you.

That He has never left you in the first place.

These few weeks, I have been working on an assignment in ministry. I think previously I shared with a few brothers and sisters-in-Christ that I applied to go full-time in church.

However, there has been a change in the ministry structure, and they decided to close that position in favour of adopting an alternative approach. In other words, simply put, the position that I previously applied for, was now closed or made void.

I want to be honest and say that I was disapointed. Perhaps part of the reason I wasn't receiving is because I was still trying to get over the disappointment. I'm not gung-ho and you know, be hypocritical and say that I'm not affected.

But I believe that if it's God's calling, my portion would not be taken away. I just have to trust in His season and timing.

There's something I wanted to share but I must warn you that it might sound freaky to some of you.

Remember that Pastor shared and prayed over the congregation before to have God be our spiritual surgeon, to operate and correct whatever that was binding us, that by the end of this year, we can all say we would be free from those bondages.

I experienced something strange last night. I felt a sensation while sleeping last night. It was as if someone is purging something from my stomach. And I can feel as if a hole has been "made" surgically in my stomach for that "thing" to come out.

I cannot explain it. It didn't feel painful. It just felt like someone was trying to take something out from my stomach.

And then I felt an arm pressing against my right shoulder, and a sensation came over my entire being, you know, like when you are laying hands on somebody, you place your palm on that person's shoulder or arm. Something like that.

I remebered, in a sub-conscious manner, I reached out with my left hand, trying to grab something. And it was done out of a reaction, you know, like "Please don't let go..." like when you reach out your hand to try desperately and grab something if you are falling off.

But instead of thin air, I grabbed an arm. I remebered and I know that feeling. It was flesh I touched. It was a hand. I didn't see it. But I was certain I grabbed hold of a hand.

And then I started to open my eyes, and I wanted to know who this is, whose hand is pressing on my right shoulder and whose left arm that I'm holding on to.

But I realise I can't move my body. Not even an ounce of muscle. And the strangest part was, I tried to turn around, anticipating to see someone or something.

However, I just didn't have the stremgth, and I was struggling within myself, to turn even my head to look behind, at the edge of my bed.

And when I did, I realise, my body didn't turn at all. But I realised I have turned to look behind but my body remained where it was.

At the same time, I was making sure my left hand was grabbing real tightly on the arm. I felt like I was Jacob, "wrestling" with God in that episode recorded in the Bible.

I did not get to see who that "someone" or "something" was. I decided the struggle was futile and I turned back and lay straight, facing upwards.

Then instantly, a deep sleep came over me. And I didn't recall this incident when I woke up. Not until later this afternoon.

I really don't know what to make of this encounter. I did not ask for this encounter.

But whatever it is, I believe that God will operate on me, and perhaps this is just one of the many procedures, that before the end of the year, I would be free.

Thank you Father. I love you.

posted by weiwen @ 11:23 AM 0 Comments