In God's Timing

by Ron Walters

To an eagle, timing is everything. There's a time to build a nest. There's a time to hatch an egg. There's a time to feed the baby eaglet. And there's a time to say "enough is enough" and teach the feathered food compactor how to fly! At this point the mother eagle wraps her mighty talons around the young freeloader for his first lift-off from the comfortable confines of the feathered nest. Mother will soar about two miles high while clutching her horrified baggage. When the time is right she will retract her muscular claws and for the first time ever the young eaglet is on his own, free falling, tumbling, screaming, and facing certain death as the ground quickly approaches. But, at the perfect moment, the mother will tuck her wings and make a beeline for the panicky kid. She will zoom past the tumbling feather ball, level off, spread her huge wings, and catch the mass of frantic foul on her back. This routine is practiced over and over until, at last, the young eaglet learns to fly.

With this illustration God reminded Moses, "I've held you up on eagles' wings and brought you to myself." What's true about the eagle is true about God: timing is everything. His majestic moves are precise and calculated. But whereas He may be swift to save, one truth remains, God is never in a hurry. His creation points to the evidence: towering redwoods stand guard for centuries, blue-ice glaciers carve rock mosaics by the millennia, our sun's fuel tank has enough gases to burn 3 billion years. God is simply not in a hurry.

It's not as though He can't go at a faster clip. After all, it only took him six days to create an entire universe. I've had relatives stay longer than that! But God's dealings with mankind have always been in real time, or slower. His travels with us are never on "fast forward" but rather on "play," "slow motion," or (worse) "pause."

*Noah was assigned a building project. Estimated time of completion? 100 years. (slow motion) *Abraham waited 25 years for a promised baby son. (slow motion)

*Joseph spent 13 years in slavery because of his jealous brothers. (pause)

*For years the sons of Israel begged God for deliverance from Egypt. (pause)

*God raised up Moses to deliver Israel, but only after the patriarch was 80 years old. (slow motion)

*David ran for his life for 11 years because of an insecure king. (slow motion)

*Israel spent 70 years in captivity to learn a lesson. (pause)

God will not be rushed.

On this point God and I rarely see eye-to-eye. Patience has never been my long suit. This is nothing new to Him. My prayers have been filled with complaints on the subject. I'm terrified because "with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." I'm usually willing to wait 24 hours, but 8,760,000 hours? I don't think so!

Perhaps I'm not alone in trying to hurry God. Ever tried to set a fire under His throne? Tell me when I poke a familiar nerve: A long illness, an overdue pay raise or promotion, a smoldering church feud, a perpetual critic, a wayward child, a divisive staff member, a family problem, an undisciplined disciple, a belligerent neighbor, unanswered prayer, waiting for the church to take off as other churches do... am I getting warm? Why isn't God as concerned as we are?

From the patriarchs of old, to the disciples of today, God's leaders have always asked the same questions, "When, Lord? Why not now?" Yet, to paraphrase His answer to Isaiah, "My timing is not your timing, neither are your deadlines my deadlines."

For at the perfect moment did not...

*Abraham, with a knife raised in his trembling hand, see a ram caught in the thicket?

*Joseph, with no hope of parole, go from an inmate on death row to be prime minister of Egypt?

*Moses, with Pharaoh's chariots closing in fast, watch as God opened the waters?

*David, with a bounty on his head, ultimately wear the crown of Israel?

Jesus, who spent 30 years preparing for a 3-year ministry, knew something about timing. He exhibited poise and patience in every phase of His demanding work. His pressures would have crushed any team of Fortune 500's. It appeared His hand-picked successors would never catch on. But he was never rushed, never preoccupied with the day's frantic pace. He was, as His father, never in a hurry.

Timing is everything. Our timing is to wait on His. And like the mother eagle, God may let us free fall, but He's never lost one of His kids yet.

The Prophetic Experiences, Part 6 The Maturing Process of the Prophetic

Week 29, 2011

We have been discussing Christian maturity in relation to the prophetic—especially how it can impact the way we interpret impressions. On the impression level of prophetic revelation, the immature can be prone to mix in their own feelings, even when they are temporary such as caffeine withdrawal, prejudices for good or bad, and opinions. It does take the kind of experience that can only come from maturity to learn to separate what the Holy Spirit may be impressing upon us and what are our own senses.

You expect two-year olds to wear diapers and make a mess with just about everything they touch. We have to allow the young in Christ to be immature, and yes, make messes. Young and immature prophetic people will act like young and immature prophetic people. The belief that some have tried to impose on the prophetic—that if you made one mistake you are a false prophet—inhibits their maturity, or worse, it can profoundly distort their character.

What teacher could teach if they were under the burden that if they made one mistake, they would be considered a false teacher? What pastor could ever give counsel to anyone if they were under the pressure that if they made just one mistake, they would be considered a false shepherd? Such would pervert these ministries, just as that yoke imposed on young prophetic people can distort their development.

We’ll discuss this a bit more later, but just having prophetic gifts does not make one a prophet. The office of prophet is a special commission, and until we have received that commission from above, we should just consider ourselves Christians who are trying to grow in the gifts and fruit of the Spirit to be the greatest servant to Him that we can be. We likewise need to give grace to those who are just trying to mature in their calling and gifts.

One of the primary gates of hell through which a religious spirit gains entry to the church is through more mature believers wrongly judging and condemning younger believers for their behavior, which is usually simple immaturity. We must not allow that yoke to be put on us or on those we have charge over. The young need to be allowed to be immature and to mature in a normal way, a lot of which has to do with learning from our mistakes.

Without question, we have a general problem in the church with many believers not maturing as they should. I think this was the real definition of the Lord’s warning about the last days when He said, “Woe to those who nurse babes in those days” (see Matthew 24:19), which I think could have been interpreted as, “Woe to those who keep their people in immaturity.” Certainly we need to be maturing, but we must let people mature at the right pace just as the apostles, elders, and Holy Spirit were resolved to do with the new Gentile believers.

This is where moderation is so essential. Since we are still covering how impressions are one way that the Lord speaks to us, but also how to discern the difference between something He has impressed on us from our own prejudices or perspectives—moderation is a key factor in this. A moderate person will not tend to be so judgmental or to see people in extremes. There is a time to see matters in extremes because that is the truth, but we don’t want to do this because we are extreme.

The perception that most seem to have about prophetic ministries is that they are extremists and see everything in extremes. This may be the case for the immature, and it is true there are factors which are hindering people from maturing in the prophetic while staying in a typical church. I hear people say they want to be a “grace prophet,” and others like to be severe, but if we are going to be the real thing, we should not lean toward any such label, but rather be what we have to be to do the job that we’re assigned. Anything less just reveals that we are still babes.

We see in the Book of Revelation how the Lord Jesus had a different word for each of the seven churches even though they all existed at the same time and in the same general location. Some churches that have been prone toward legalism may need a strong grace message, while some churches that have been prone to lawlessness may need a word about the judgment of God. Paul wrote in Romans that we should “behold then the kindness and the severity of God” (see Romans 11:22). If we can only see His kindness, then we are not seeing Him as He is, and we are not likely to represent Him as He really is. If we can only see His severity, then the same is true. We must see them both together if we are to see Him as He is, and represent Him as He is.

Not Finished Yet!

By Roy Lessin, DaySpring co-founder and writer.

We need a new button, t-shirt, bumper sticker, or cap that reads...NFY! It stands for Not Finished Yet!

Regardless of the label people put on you (senior, baby-boomer, retired person), regardless of the number of birthdays you've celebrated, you are still here. And as long as you are here, you are not there, and as long as you are not there, it means God still has a purpose for you here.

When Jesus was on the cross, the last thing He said was, "It is finished." After He made that statement He died. When is God's purpose for you on this earth finished? It is finished when you die... until then, you are not finished yet! NFY!

Does the thought of getting older discourage you or make you fearful? Consider these words the Lord spoke to Isaiah: I will be your God throughout your lifetime--until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. Isaiah 46:4 NLT

A Bigger Story

by David Gu

In every story, there is a man;
In every man, there is a story.

This is the power of Destiny, the very core of a living man and one of the things that concerns MSC. But we are only interested in the destiny Jesus Christ has for each man. Without it, men craft their destinies by the wisdom of their sinful nature equivalent to the foolishness of God.

Think about this. Why Jesus Christ, God the Son, witness to the creation of the universe, having seen every method of death since the death of Abel, yet chose death of a sinner to be His destiny? There are other glorious methods (to the physical world) of dying, are there not? Here is a man who is telling us right in the face that not every story is a bed of roses throughout. Many times we have to climb up the thorny stalk before reaching the flower. In Christ, there is ALWAYS a flower at the end of the thorny stalk because He has risen from the dead!

The word Destiny denotes a big picture and there is always a bigger picture to the circumstances we are going through at this moment. We will not see that bigger picture unless and until we trust God to deliver us out of the situation. Well, it is easier said than done of course. But,

Jeremiah 29:11-13
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

In this scripture, although God said He has plans for us, He greatly diminishes it with the fact that He wants us to pray to Him and have a relationship with Him. Even in the issue of plans, purposes and destiny, God has a bigger picture to offer.

It is time for us to see big, think big and do bigger. This big-ness lies only in Christ the Master Planner who saw a very big plan through commissioning and sending 12 men to take the world for Him.

There will be times when we lose focus of our purpose, a slip in our story but God is faithful and He gave me 2 scriptures which greatly touched my heart to run an extra mile every time I falter.

Luke 9:23
Then He said to them all: “if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

Here, I believe Jesus was not talking about suffering on the cross because He has suffered for us. As the cross was His destiny, prophesied long before He walked on earth, He is urging us to deny the self-crafted destiny and take up the destiny and plans that God has for us.

Matthew 26:29
I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

The communion bread and wine signify the broken body and blood of Jesus respectively, which also signifies Jesus being crucified on the cross; which further signifies the completion of His destiny on earth. In this verse, I believe Jesus is telling me that in Him, there will always be a completion of my destiny where He is waiting for me to drink anew in God’s Kingdom. It is simple.

Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.

Let’s set our eyes on that cup, let’s move to another level of seeking to see the bigger picture God has and be the man of the story of our lives!!

Choosing Grace

Dr. James Emery White

C.S. Lewis once quipped that everyone thinks forgiveness is a wonderful idea until they have someone to forgive.

Let’s apply that to grace.

Everyone thinks grace is a wonderful idea until they are faced with a situation that calls for it to be applied.

Grace is that which is freely given and totally undeserved; receiving what you do not deserve, and not receiving what you do.

Make no mistake, when it comes to human interaction, grace is a choice; a decision, made in reaction to a situation, which creates one of two scenarios: graciousness, or harsh judgment.

Let’s explore this a bit.

You arrive for your regular morning workout at the gym. You see a morbidly obese person on the treadmill. A dark thought slips across your mind along the lines of “What are they doing here?”

But what would a choice for grace be like?

It’s simple, really. When the dark thought crosses your mind, correct it and choose another. Rather than sneering and thinking that an overweight person has no business in a gym with fit people such as yourself, let grace exclaim, “Good for them! They are trying to lose weight and are here putting in the hard work to do it. Many overweight people aren’t even trying, and they are. Way to go!”

A politician is caught in sexual scandal and forced to resign. The first thought would be to lump all the slimy buggers together, make a sweeping assessment about politicians in general, and say the hypocrite got what he deserved.

A choice for grace might whisper, “If all of my private sins were suddenly made known, would I be forced to resign as well?”

Do we need to keep walking through the other seven deadly sins? If grace can speak to gluttony and lust, couldn’t it change our response to greed, anger, sloth, envy and pride?

Not as a means to excuse sin, or even to respond passively to sin as if it’s inconsequential to our world, much less our spiritual lives. The choice for grace is more relational. It’s the understanding that you’ve never locked eyes with anyone’s sin without seeing the drama of the fall playing itself out on planet earth.

The choice for grace is about seeing past the second chapter of the great theological story; first came creation, then the fall, but then came the wonderful, glorious third chapter of redemption.

This wasn’t just proclaimed by Jesus, but lived.

When everyone else saw a serial adulterer by a well, Jesus saw an evangelist to a city.

When everyone else saw a scheming, greedy tax collector, Jesus saw someone who could right a corrupt system.

When everyone else saw a murderous, hate-filled bigot, Jesus saw the author of much of the New Testament.

When everyone else saw you, full of your sin and dead to shame, Jesus saw a cherished daughter and a prized son.

Grace chose you.

Try choosing grace for others.

Practicing the Presence of God

“Enoch walked with God" (Genesis 5:24).

The true test of a person's spiritual life and character is not what he does in the extraordinary moments of life, but what he does during the daily grind of everyday life when there is nothing tremendous or exciting happening. In the 1600's, there was a monk named Brother Lawrence who was a dishwasher in his monastery.

He made a profound discovery that is true for every believer in the workplace today. "For me the time of activity does not differ from the time of prayer, and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are calling together calling for as many different things, I possess God in as great tranquility as when upon my knees."

You see, he found no urgency for retreats, because in the common task he met the same God to love and worship as he did in the stillness of the desert. It is this kind of life that Jesus desires for each of his children. Enoch was also a man that practiced the presence of God. The Bible does not give a detailed account of is life. All we know about him is that "He walked with God." In fact, it says in Genesis 5:22 that Enoch walked with God 300 years! Wow! That is faithfulness!

What does it mean to practice the presence of God daily? It means we are constantly talking to our Heavenly Father about the issues in our day. It means praying about things as they come up. It means stopping at a red light and praying for the person God brings to mind. It means singing a song in your car while you are sitting in traffic. That is practicing the presence of God.

Today, when God gives you times alone or there are needs that arise, stop and consult your Heavenly Father about the situation. Then you will be practicing the presence of God.

MSC's first water baptism

2 May 2011 marked another historical moment in the life of MSC.  We had our inaugural baptismal service where 20 candidates were water baptised.  Amongst them were people of three nationalities: Malaysian, Nepalese and mainland Chinese.  Praise God for that - surely, there will be more to come!  We rejoice as this is the fruit of people getting saved, walking in Christ's command and following after His ways. 
 




We heard testimonies from four of the baptismal candidates and they shared about the difference Christ has made in each of their lives.  One lady talked about how the Lord granted her peace in the night and that she was now able to have a good night's rest, while in the past she would be laden with worries and fears about everything she could have thought of; whether finances, her family's well being, her son's upbringing, etc.  Another candidate talked about how it would not have mattered had he just died in his young life, as he came from a broken home and there was no harmony nor unity there.  In these four years that he had walked with Christ, his own life has really turned around for the better; no more troubled, sleepless nights nor tormenting headaches but a life of purpose, peace and power of God.





This event has indeed also blessed all those who attended the baptismal service.  God is real and He is still in the business of changing and empowering lives today; healing us from our past, guiding us in our present and opening up for us a wonderful future.  We pray to God for more harvest of souls....keep up this momentum of seeing lives saved.