http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5d2XS3AzbEI
Momentum - every leader in the western world in talking about it. It is the topic at conferences, the conversation of pastors that meet up over coffee in Seattle… The one notion that leaders in Mooloolaba communicate. Some churches have been daring enough to label their conference “MOMENTUM 2010!”. Wow, I have myself used it in conversation when I talk to Pastors about building “momentum” in their church.
How did this word even get into our church vocabulary? The other day I ran into a youth leader who said, “Our youth is slowly building momentum”. I asked him what his major was at school… it was not physics.
What is momentum? How did this terminology enter the church? Momentum is a principle from Physics and has hence been adapted in the business world. Considering the fact that the pulpit has embraced to itself words such as synergy, innovate and others rather than glory, anointing and Hallelujah. In the pursuit of this exchange, the adaption of momentum has occurred too.
One day in prayer, I felt the Holy Spirit ask me… “Alwyn, what is momentum?”.. Whenever I am asked a question by God, I know its not cause He needs inspiration but because I need revelation. I suddenly realised that I had actually learned this in school, unlike some of my peers who were innocently parroting what is spoken.
Momentum is the result of Mass and Velocity on an object. For example a car, when we hit the accelerator, it produces movement and hence moves. But then when we lift our leg from the accelerator, it continues to move…. until eventually it comes to rest. The motion that the car takes between when action or acceleration was put until it comes to rest is called Momentum.
I suddenly realised - Is this what leaders are pursuing? Is this what the church desires? Is this actually what conferences want to mould themselves into? Everything that gains momentum will actually end, every ministry that craves for momentum is actually aiming towards a halt!
Thats not what I want! The second thing that points towards is, when Momentum is build, there is no real contribution from anyone, as the leg is off the accelerator. Hence, things take a flow just because of…itself… I ask… does it make me sound like I am lazy? like I am passion less? Cause my desire seems more to be doing nothing or stop doing what am doing.. so that “momentum” takes up my shift… which makes me to ask, “Am I passionate in the first place?”
Having studied church history, I realize that revivals must not only be prayed for to begin, but they must also be prayed for so that they may be maintained. Every revival has ended, because the people forgot to pray, or thought MOMENTUM would do the job 
Once continuous and fervent prayer is forgotten, the impetus of the revival is lost.
What is impetus? Remember the car analogy I used? Impetus is the force that is generated in the car when you step on the gas pedal!
Leaders, dont be discouraged due to lack of momentum, because that is not what you need to aim for in the first place. It is impetus. It is that driving force, that impulse, that acceleration that heaven is waiting for.
I pray that momentum dies, so that God can hear your voice.
Romans 1:11 “For I long to see you, that I may impart to you, some spiritual gift, so that you may be established –”
I am constantly amazed at what happens, when a leader, pastor or “anointed man of God”, lays hands on a person. In the last few years there has been a lot of talk on impartation. Even at some of my meetings and schools, I constantly get emails from individuals stating that since, I laid hands and prayed for them, something has been imparted that has caused a season shift.
Paul in this passage of scripture firmly states his passion to lay hands on the leaders of the Roman church, to actually see them established. The previous passage states that, “your fame is known all around the world”. The Roman church was famous, their influence, their model was spoken about, but yet Paul felt they were not established.
We read many stories about pioneers in the faith that have received prayer and seen significant shift in their ministry and life. I have personally been ministered by individuals who has sown into my life through council, wisdom and prayer.
But one of the obvious truths that I see in a lot of churches and leaders as I travel, especially in the western world, is the trend to imitate leaders and churches of influence. There are some awesome leaders and great churches that are doing so much globally, that their revelation is creating a shift in the corporate church. But unfortunately, many “second level” leaders, who are constantly bogged down by these truths, revelations and quotes have began to almost imitate, dress and articulate like these leaders. I have seen worship teams that dress up, just like the songwriters of the song they are singing.
I get excited seeing how churches are growing through the application of such truth but I worry about the fact that many of these leaders have lost their own personality and identity in their passionate journey for growth and revival. A part of me wishes, that leaders in their desire to be teachable, do not loose their own time with the greatest teacher, “the Holy Spirit”.
Paul was instrumental in teaching, training and even laying hands on young Timothy. He instructs Timothy, in 2nd Timothy, to stir up the gifts within him..which has been imparted through the laying on of hands. But yet, he ensures to remind, Timothy of his upbringing, his revelations and his own testimony, to ensure that his personality was not lost in the process of impartation.
If you are leader reading this, I appreciate your passion to be teachable and to receive, but I encourage you to be yourself. The Lord is passionate to hear “you” preach, to see “you” minister.
Let us never imitate but only be imitator’s of Christ. Your greatest victory is won on your knees!
Tags: 2nd level leaders, Alwyn Matt, church, church growth, culture, downpour, identity crisis, impartation, influence, leaders, movement driven, revival movement
<a href=”http://coffeentheword.com/dpm-kingdom-healing-school-message.mp4“>dpm-kingdom-healing-school-messageRevivaLIVE with Alwyn Matt (Downpour Ministries)
This is one of the recent podcasts we have put up on itunes, which I felt should be forwarded to each one of you due to the potential opportunity that lies ahead in it. In this mp3 I take 5 minutes to explain the new addition we have added into Downpour Ministries called The Kingdom School. Of this school, I have the privilege to give you a personal invitation on details concerning a Healing School we will be running later this year at the Sun Shine Coast.
More exciting details is available on this mp3. All you would need to do is download and have a listen.
We are currently in the process of fully launching our podcast media section on iTunes which will be called revivaLIVE.
Tags: Alwyn Matt, Healing School, itunes, media, podcast, revival, Sun Shine Coast
Day 3 so far of soaking70!
How is it going for you? We have been receiving a lot of comments and testimonies, very encouraging to even read the visions of some of the people during this 70 day period. As a team we have had an intersting time, with a car break down to Brissy and other such amazing events. Day 2 was an overall amazing day, at the end of it all, we could easily sense the favour and sovereignity of God.
Meanwhile, this weekend we also have the Encounter09 conference at Crowsnest New Hope Church in Queensland. If you are in the vicinity you need to try and make it. The last event we had in Crowsnest in the month of February has been an impacting event - and we still hear the testimonies of it.
One of the recommended patterns for this soaking season was having an accountability partner. How is that going with you? I have been experiencing and seeing great results of this style of growth on a personal basis. It is amazing to share your struggles with a brother and then pray concerning it and eventually get the victory in that area of struggle leading to celebration.
I was reading Nehemiah 4 today, where it spoke about the reconstruction of the wall of the city of Jerusalem. Many were jealous as the children of God got vision towards a specific calling. You will notice that as your vision concerning specific areas gets sharper, the attacks increase.
We read in Nehemiah 4:10 (NKJV) “The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall.” - I love it! There is so much rubbish that people bring into our lives when we are trying to live for a bigger cause, when we have already seen the bigger picture, when we know that we know that we know, that this is just not it!
Now you need to read how the Israelites took care of this issue:
vs 16: So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore armor; and the leaders were behind all the house of Judah.
They realised the significance of partnership towards a vision. One half of the men stood with spears to protect and guard what was done and the others continued to construct the rest. We need to guard jealously what we have cause its only to those who practice to do so that are trusted with more by God.
This is the power of partnership - where your brother, your sister is able to stand strong with spear for you and join you in battle for things you are struggling with.
Oh How I love partnership! - Who is your partner?
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Please continue to email Downpour Ministries with testimonies and your progress as it is a huge source of encourage to this project. We love and support your desire to be immersed in God.
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Tags: battles, better together, overcome, partnership, soaking, struggles, there is more
As Christians probably the one area that most people compromise, is the area of spending time with God. In busy schedule and increasing work load the one element that suffers in our Christian walk is quality time in the presence of God. I was personally challenged few weeks ago on the time spent in the presence of God.
This is bigger than a morning devotional, bigger than singing a slow song, bigger than reading a article off a Christian website – this is how conscious are we aware of God’s presence in our daily life. Most Christians I meet struggle to even feel God’s presence, leaders included. Some people can tone down their experience with God to 1987, after which there has been no revelation of who God is. We are called to continually grow in Him and to know Him more. Which is what led me to a vision called Soaking 70.
What is Soaking?
Have you ever been in a service where you are worshipping and suddenly after 20 minutes or so you begin to “fee” the presence of God? Soaking is focused on this presence of God. Most times many of us feel the presence of God only by the last song. Most times what I see is, people experience this 4 minute window of God’s presence once every Sunday. Hence, what happens is the culture is to start from the beginning point once again the follow Sunday. But with intense soaking what happens in our spiritual senses begin to get activated and starts recognising different elements of the Holy Spirit. The point? Try to worship in your room for 30 minutes or so – most times if you are able to hit the 30 minute margin – you may begin to feel to the presence of God. If it takes longer, still keep pressing in, even if it is an hour but press in until you feel the presence of God.
Now, once the presence of God has been felt, don’t just stop, begin to soak. Position yourself either sit down, kneel or any comfortable position, I personally like to lie down. Most times what happens with me is I get knocked down by the power and so I have learned to just lie down so that nothing hinders the presence of God.
The second element of soaking is to be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10). Most people spoil, soaking time by trying to entertain God either with tongues or some words, when God truly examines the worship of the heart and the Spirit rather than our words. Learn to just be quiet and begin to receive. Do not be discouraged if nothing happens because your Spirit man is receiving. Most people expect a lot even on their first soaking session. Unfortunately, it is not God who is trying to limit our expectation, it’s our flesh. We have Spiritual eyes, nose, ears, tongue etc but it is only with deeper water experiences in soaking that these senses begin to get activated. The very fact that you are beginning to feel His presence is a good start! Keep waiting on God and let that presence that you feel build. Begin to use your thoughts to try communicating with the Holy Spirit, so rather than using words think what you desire to speak and you will see that the Holy Spirit starts to minister to you. As this happens, the presence increases………………………….
What is Soaking 70?
Soaking 70 is soaking in God’s presence for a period of 70 days. This does not mean people need to stop going to work, universities or leading normal daily lives. It is focused on trying to accommodate the soaking culture into ones daily life. Ideally, I like to play some music in the background () and then tap into the presence.
At Downpour, myself and the team are dedicating 70 solid days on soaking and spending time in the presence of God.
Here are some of my personal goals during this soaking season:
a) Increasing my sensitivity to the Holy Spirit
b) Renewal of the Mind
c) Control of Body
d) Wisdom in areas of breakthroughs
Increasing my sensitivity to the Holy Spirit: How does the Holy Spirit operate? What is He saying, thinking. What is on the heart of Jesus?
Renewal of the Mind: Romans 12, talks about the renewal of the mind. Your mind has been renewed when the impossible looks logical – that’s where I wish to get!
Control of Body: I would love to get in better shape and fitness. For long term endurance in the ministry, I need to be fit. Lots of travelling has reduced my fitness level – I need a higher degree of fitness to keep me focused.
Wisdom in areas of breakthrough: As an individual I need breakthroughs in areas of future plans. Also, as a ministry we are praying for the next level aspects of what is on the Heart of God for us.
———- What are your goals?
THE WORD:
Every few days I will be releasing teachings focused on intimacy primarily and how to increase your sensitivity to the things of God. But I personally advice your own personal bible reading plan. Most people read the word “according to the Spirit”, most times I feel that is nothing but laziness as the “Spirit feeling” may come only once a month. Try to be systematic in your bible reading and with what you read the Spirit will be able to minister to you. The Holy Spirit always works in partnership with the word as He is the author of the word. Take a certain book, Mark for example and read a chapter or two a day, write your thoughts in the journal. One some occasions especially during soaking sessions you may be feel in your Spirit certain scriptures, feel free to study, read that then and meditate, but when you do not feel or sense any of that, get back into the Systematic pattern.
JOURNAL:
I personally recommend a journal (a notebook) where you could write your 70 days journey. Write about your visions, dreams, experiences, revelation from the word, what is God speaking to you etc.
Accountability Partner:
In the Soaking campaign, try to get an accountability partner. You will need to share your goals and visions on where you wish to get at the end of the 70 days. And this partner will need to keep you on check. The partner who keeps you on check should be someone who also is a part of this program as it would help in the journey we are on. The partner who keeps you on check could also you who is accountable to you also, making it a mutual partnership which will be a blessing to both. I personally recommend husbands and wives to be partners in this – we have seen marriages healed of this type of settings. If you are a single man, I would recommend a single man to keep you accountable, the same with woman.
Cost: People have asked “what is the cost of subscribing to all these teachings and materials, the cost is free! We are more focused on getting you intimate with God rather than anything else.
QUESTIONS:
Please feel free to ask questions on this blog page comment option as others who read your questions, may have similar ones, which would bless many. If your question is too personal, kindly email us at testimonies@alwynmatt.org.
Let the Soaking CULTURE begin!
Alwyn
Tags: breakthrough, God, intimacy, more God, radical worship, season, soaking
Many feel disqualified from creativity because they have narrowly confined it to the world of art and music. They fail to realize that everyone has some measure of creativity, which should be consistently expressed throughout life.
Every 5 year old is an artist. It’s an expression of their bent to create. But something happens when they enter grade school. Many educational system narrow the definition of creativity to include only those who can draw or paint. By the time children are around 10 years of age very few of them are still considered to be artists because of that narrow definition. Today’s kingdom-oriented teachers must embrace the value of true wisdom, and develop children’s creative skills outside the traditional box called “art”. It is divine wisdom displayed in creativity that brings individuals to the forefront in his or her field of influence.
But I want to demand faith off some of you who read this, many of us are discouraged because our dreams have failed. In your pain and frustration you oppose the message that you have the right to dream. “Hope defered makes the heart sick…” is scripture well quoted from many platforms and even myself but I wish to give justice to this scripture as it does not stope there, it continues to say “…but desire fulfilled is a tree of life” (PROV 13:12 NASB)
Here is a higher reality,when you pursue a dream but failed to see it fulfilled, you actually prepare the way for others who carry the same dream to eventually get the breakthrough that they were seeking. It is hard for many to take comfort in this thought, but that is because we usually think it is all about us. There is NO FAILURE IN FAITH.
Often a tragic loss here on earth is viewed quite differently in Heaven. What is honored in Heaven is frequently pitied or mocked here on earth. When a person dies while trying to live out an expression of faith, people often criticize the foolishness of their decision. Few realize that their loss became “the soil” in which someone else could eventually realize their dream, because their loss actually paved the way to a breakthrough.
Those with failed dreams can take comfort in the fact that they prepared the way for others. It’s almost a John the Baptist role. He prepared the way for the ONE to come. Countless times throughout history there have been those who never realized a fulfillment of their dreams. Many come to the end of their lives with the overwhelming conclusion that they failed. To our detriment, we have lived without the consciousness that a failed attempt at a dream often becomes the foundation of another person’s success or even ours! Some water, others plant, and still others harvest. We all have an important role to set the stage for the King of Kings to receive more glory. It’s all about Him, not us.
There is a generation out there with still broken dreams, with drawn desires, untold visions and unreached destinations. Oh Dreaming generation - start pursuing that dream, start dreaming with God!
Tags: choice, desires, destiny, dreams, generation, God, history, passion, purpose, success, vision, wisdom
Owing to my husband’s line of work, we’ve been forced to re-locate on several occasions. One of my prominent worries always is, if I will find a good church and fellowship in our new locale. And on many accounts, although I am able to find a church, I am often disappointed with what I discover. Sometimes I’ve felt myself a tad bit too demanding maybe, however, I feel as a child of God, I am allowed to demand any level of satisfaction upon the parish or denomination I am to join. For in this place of worship, I feel the need to be complete and at home, even more so than my own house perhaps.
My main disconcertion is the lack of anointing, that I have so grown accustomed to in my many years of church going. Can a church, where tens, maybe even hundreds come to worship and praise the Lord be dead? From my very own personal experience, I can most certainly affirm to you that they can. I once attended a service at a renowned church in my city in which I was battling constantly to stay awake. The worship seemed dead, there was no joy in anyone’s voices, faces or eyes! The message to me was equivalent to a nice warm glass of milk that slowly lulled me to sleep. At the end of the service, I was keen to observe the members of this church. I was curious as to their final disposition after so ‘moving’ a service. To my astonishment, they all looked so content and satisfied. However I was able to observe that their satisfaction looked very much like that which we gain from accomplishing our duty, and not the kind we get when we are lost in God’s presence for over two hours.
I was constantly dogged by this incident as I just could not contemplate how anyone could be satisfied with such a mediocre experience of such a magnificent God they were supposedly worshipping!
On recently reading the word, I came across a few verses that suddenly brought all of it to light! I began to understand why certain churches were dead!
Amos 4: 6 I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in all your places, yet you did not return to me,” declares the LORD.
7And also I withheld the rain from you when there were yet three months to the harvest. I caused it to rain upon another city; one piece of ground was rained upon, and the piece upon which it did not rain withered.
So as an onset to the course of action that God seems to be taking here, in the hopes of having His people return to Him, He brings about a famine, cleanness of teeth and lack of bread refers to a deprivation that the Lord first sends. I am lead to believe that this famine is that which relates to the bread of life, the word of God.
John:6:35: Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
When a church begins to wander from the Lord, He appears to stop the delivery of the Word.
Romans: 10: 17: So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Without being fed of the Word, the church grows mal-nourished and starts dwindling in faith. The faith of that church eventually dies as well. Without faith, it is not possible to expect great things from God. And a church that no longer expects great things from God, is most certainly dead.
John: 14: 26: But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
We rely on the Father to send us the Holy Ghost to teach us and make the Word alive to us. We must be aware that when God speaks of depriving the church of His word, it does not mean that there will no longer be preachers available. There might still be many who will be more than willing to stand on the pulpits and preach. However, unless the revelation of the Word comes from the Lord, those who hear will remain hungry.
Now moving on to Amos : 4: 7, it is quite a widespread connotation in the Word where the Holy Spirit anointing is depicted as rain. We find this in many illustrations in the Bible, for instance in,
James : 5 : 7: Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
We observe here that the Lord has blocked the anointing from coming forth. And although he says that he withheld the rain from falling on one city, He sent rain to another city. This clearly explains why certain churches appear ‘dead’ while others appear to be ‘on fire’. He also plainly reveals the eventual fate of a church that continues in the absence of the anointing, it withers and dies!
Now I would like to examine the reason that compels the Lord to these drastic measures. The Lord seems to be explaining his punishment, but we haven not yet explored the basis of this reprimand. We have understood that a church appears dead as a result of the anointing and the Word being withheld from it. But why is this done?
Amos : 4: 4: Come to Bethel, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply transgression; and bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes after three years.
In this context, Bethel, also known as the House of God, was at one point used to worship the Golden Calf. We are all aware of the story of the Golden Calf that the Israelites created to worship when Moses went up to the mountain to commune with the Lord. The Golden Calf was chosen as their god of that moment since it was representative of an Egyptian god named Apis. Their worshipping the Golden Calf represents their hesitation to leave their past behind them as they were still clinging on to their former masters’ god.
This is not an alien situation in churches either. Although we have been delivered from the bondage of sin and we are no longer required to serve that master, we are compelled to return to that captivity. And even though we are to now serve the living God who delivered us, we still live captive to the sin that He delivered us from. Sin is often used as a general term that covers a multitude of transgressions, this includes greed, avarice, pride, deceit and the list goes on. Does not the love of money and political power play in many of our churches prove to us that they are still very much worshipping the Golden Calf in Bethel, the House of God, even today?
Gilgal was a place of worship to the god Tammuz. Now Tammuz was supposed to be the god responsible for the abundance and prosperity of the earth, the fruitfulness of the soil even. Today, Gilgal represents the love of the world, the drive for prosperity and carnal success. Truly the Lord has promised prosperity and success to His church.
Jeremiah: 29: 11: For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.
However this prosperity comes from focusing on the Lord.
Matthew: 6: 33: But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
And yet, many of us are driven by our need for success and acceptance in the world. Many even seek God just to facilitate their financial breakthroughs. So at the end of the day, the question to ask is, do they worship Jehovah Jireh or Tammuz? Is the focus on Jehovah, who provides for our needs or on the things themselves that we so covet?
We also find in verse 4 that the rightful sacrifices are duly made to the Lord and the tithing also faithfully carried out. This only goes to prove that praise and worship, or tithing does not guarantee the anointing on a church. The Lord truly demands our undivided loyalty and devotion.
I guess the simple answer to why we find dead churches can be found in Exodus: 20: 3-5: Thou shalt have no other gods before me……… Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God……….
A God jealously in love with His church, cannot accept the worship of other gods in His house, but is ever willing to recant his judgment on a repenting church.
2 Chronicles: 7: 14: If my people, which are called by my name, shall 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.
He will indeed send bread and rain to heal the land once again…..
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Sindu Mary is a strong and commited partner to this ministry right from the beginning stages. She has a deep understanding of the word and has a heart passionate to see the Lord move in local churches. She currently based in Sydney, Australia and has been a huge amount of blessing to me personally - Alwyn MATT
Tags: alwyn, anointing, breakthrough, church, dead, dead church, global church, healing, judgement, living god, prosperity, revival, riches, sindu, sydney, wealth
I have been bearing this teaching in my spirit for a season now but today when the Lord brought it to my attention I was compelled to put it up in the hope that some of you would be blessed and some of your reasonings would be satisfied.
In the last couple of months, I have been emailed this one question : Why did Jesus Curse the fig tree when the tree was not in the season of bearing fruits?
Think about that for a minute, was that not thoughtless of Jesus to do that, the Jesus we know who moves with compassion and who bears everything, could he not have have bore the fact that the tree was not yet ready nor in it’s season of harvest?
Before we make futher intuitions, let us revist that passage of scripture: Mark 11: 12 - 14:
12The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.
Jesus was hungry, sees a fig tree in the distance and hopes that it has fruits even though it was not the season for figs, upon arrival, he curses the tree and walks off. Later on in v 20, we see that the tree actually withered! Wow, powerful but mean, don’t you think?
I began asking the Lord about what he was really trying to do but I want to share what it states after this whole event, we read in v 21 to 24:
21Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”
22“Have[a] faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23“I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Jesus states, have faith in God - Jesus seemed to make a direct link between him cursing the fig tree to having faith. Was Jesus making a new point here? The Lord began to reveal to me that this is what happened, in the ministry of Jesus, there has been so many absolute highlights and character in his nature but I believe the highest aspect was faith. The level of faith that Jesus walked in was an absolute league above. When Jesus was hungry, it says he hoped or had faith, that there was fruits on the fig true, which means Jesus did not care if it was the season for figs or not, His faith was so radical, so extreme, He knows that He knows that as He walked to the tree, the tree was supposed to BEAR FRUITS!
It did not matter, I can literally picture it, Jesus walking up expecting to see results but to his surprise, when he walked in a level of raising the dead and when this tree REBELLED against the power of God to bear fruits at this time, season and hour - Jesus felt there was no point in understanding but rather to curse this true - because that was the level of faith. Jesus realised that this true just rebelled against the word of the father which was released into the barks and saps to bear instant fruits.
In many ways, if this tree choose to bear fruits, I believe to this day, the tree would be a blessing, known as an every green and ever fruit bearing tree through out the land of israel but due to rebellion, it choose to bring destruction.
Two lessons from this:
1) When the Lord asks us to get out of our comfort zones, we better do it in absolute obedience.
2) When we walk in radical faith - Something must happen in the atmosphere we live in.
Tags: comfort zone, faith, fig tree, obedience, off season, radical, season, supernatural
In Matthew 14: 22 – 32 We read that, Jesus had just finished feeding an enormous crowd of more than 5000 men, and then he tells his disciples to go to the other side of the sea. The disciples were in the midst of the sea when Jesus came walking on the water. The disciples were terrified and gripped with fear. But they calmed down when they realize its Jesus…… ….Peter then says to Jesus, “If it’s really you, tell me to come out on the water to you”. WOOO…..What puzzles me the most is that out of all the 12 disciples sitting on the boat, only one disciple had a request, more like a foolish request that a 5 year old kid would ask. And guess what Jesus’ answer was?? He said “Come”. If Peter was to think in terms of the world, he would have never dared to ask a thing. What I’m stressing over here is that as long as we think as the world does, we are not going to get any closer in our relationship with Jesus.
God is looking for “foolish” people who are ready to step out into the road where not many are willing to walk. I Corinthians 1:27 declare “God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise…”
After Peter steps out of the boat and walks on the water to Jesus, he sees the wind and he becomes afraid. When Peter starts to sink, he cried out to Jesus, who then reached out to him and asked him a question which really touched me, ”ye of little faith, why did you doubt?” This is the problem with most of us, “little faith’. It’s either “mustard seed faith” or no faith at all. We got to understand that “little faith” doesn’t work and it is only good as having no faith. Why aren’t we willing to trust on God’s power completely? Let me bring one aspect into light, what is little faith? Little faith is having some assurance on God and the rest on us, that is,
we keeping a bit of back up space for our plans incase God’s plan does not take the full shape. Let us put complete faith in Jesus, a faith that does not have a back up plan of ours but on His. Even though God has never shown unfaithfulness for generations and generations, we doubt God’s power. But we are ready to trust on the “most unreliable” human wisdom.
I Corinthians 2:5 states that our faith does not depend on human wisdom but on God’s power. Not depending on human wisdom, according to the world certainly means “foolishness”. Peter began to sink only when he looked at the strong wind and started to think in terms of the world, I could imagine Peter’s mind thinking, Oh today’s forecast was quite bad…I should I remembered that there was a high tide.
I wish to encourage each of you precious readers to hang on God’s back up plan rather than our daily forecasts, predictions, analysis and economic diagrams!
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Arun John is 17 years of age and is an intern at Alwyn Matt Ministries (Downpour Ministries). He is trained under the Trinity Youth Program and is currently being trained as a worship leader, which is where his heart and gifting lies. He has led worship at platforms like The Lighthouse Church, Kuwait and also at conferences conducted by Alwyn.
At a recent event, during ministry time, Alwyn gave a word of knowledge, that he saw also a huge teaching gift upon the life of Arun. We are focused on building the teaching ministry of this child, your comments would be much appreciated.
Tags: back up plan, crowd, faith, God's plan, God's will, intern, internship, Jesus, mission trip, mustard seed, Peter, real faith, teaching, water, worship, youth