The Effect of Testimony

The Effect of Testimony

I haven’t been sharing testimonies on Lifestyle Evangelism for a period of time on social media platforms. While the intention of testimonies is to encourage others and spur them on to step out and see Christ doing the same thing (or greater) through them, it doesn’t always produce the result.

On the contrary, some began to ask me for impartation (I rejected immediately because I personally think that impartation destroys identity); others began to point people to me; some began to ask me to minister to the sick, etc.

To me, this has failed the empowerment test. Empowerment is to get others to see the God of men living in and through them. Empowerment is identity —— knowing who you are as sons. Empowerment is seeing others doing the work of Christ as they see you doing it.

It was this realization that I decided that I should stop posting testimonies. In the healing book, I tried not to include any testimony unless it was needed to teach a principle or truth.

Some believe that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy ——- meaning that when someone testifies about a healing, we can expect God to do it again. This has been overused since a popular pastor in United States started preaching it many years ago. In fact, the whole context of Rev 19:10 isn’t even talking about testimonies of healing or miracles. A word without a context will always be a pretext for a prooftext.

Don’t make things complicated. When you share a testimony, it stirs up the faith of the listeners. Where there is faith, grace is appropriated, which includes healing. When someone is healed of a unique disease, the hearers will have the faith expectation to receive the same. When faith goes up, the manifestation of grace comes down.

Tonight in the streets of Singapore, we saw slipped disc healed, flu & sore throat disappeared, growth literally shrank, thyroid inflammation gone, eyesight correction (the guy tested without glasses), injuries healed, etc. We put them in the same testimony here because every healing is the same in God’s perspective. There is no big or small miracle/healing. Only men think that way. We are called to set our mind on above. How we share the testimony reveals what kind of mindset we have concerning sickness. Every sickness is on the same level in God’s eyes.

Out of a number of testimonies, we are sharing one here to point you to a principle at the end. A lady drew 3 spiritual cards but we didn’t use them. You don’t need to rely on any item. You just need the Spirit of Christ within you. We saw a tattoo (it’s a heart-shaped with some words but there isn’t a need to read any of those stuff) on her arm, so we decided to connect with her using that. We said, “We will interpret your tattoo.” We continued, “Before 20 years old, at around 17, you attempted suicide, because of brokenness. Your father was never present in your life, causing you to experience a lack of affirmation and affection, which you are going out after men to get it.” She nodded and was blown away, with tears in her eyes. We shared other details and ministered physical and emotional healing as the Holy Spirit (who is also in every believer) revealed. There is no need to share the details as that’s not the main point of this testimony. She used to be a believer, but left the faith. Now the One who gave her affirmation and affection is pursuing her back as she nodded in agreement to be back in communion with Him.

What’s the point? We are just normal believers walking out what the Word says. None of us is a pastor or an evangelist. We are the proof that anyone can do the same. In Singapore, you really don’t need to go for another seminar or course. Don’t be kiasu and kiasi. Eliminate FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) in your life. Stop behaving like the secular going after every teaching session, thinking that you must know everything. In fact, if you go for many, you probably have a rojak understanding of the Word in your life —— because you listen to every man of God (sharing different perspectives) on the pulpit, instead of the God of man (READ THE BIBLE) on the Cross.

Don’t wait to go after another minister of Christ. He didn’t die for you. Go after the Minister (The Christ) who died for you and is now living in and through you. There is really enough of listening and listening and listening at the pews. You won’t grow by simply listening to more teachings. You won’t get a special power by hoping that an anointed person lays his hand on your head.

You grow and increase in the supernatural by stewarding it. That is, get out and start doing it. Get out. The more you do, the more you will believe. The more you believe, the more you will do. It becomes a cycle where you grow into what you believe. It won’t happen by you having a buffet of seminars and teachings. It happens by you moving and doing. By the way, buffet can cause constipation if you don’t let it out.

Disclaimer: Is there a place to listen to teachings? Definitely. But first, read the Word so that you know how to discern each teaching, chew the meat and spit out the bones.

Christ IN you is the Hope of glory. The same Christ in whatever minister is the same Christ that is in you. Stop belittling yourself and think, “I cannot do like him or her.” Raise your bar to your true identity as sons and priests. Start thanking Christ for who He is and who you are because you and him are ONE. Until you realize who you are, you will always be chasing after every seminar and teacher.

By the way, it is also because of such wrong belief that we are unknowingly helping the enemy to destroy those platform ministers who started well but begin to fall in love with the favor of God and men... Yes. You exalted them. You lift them up on the pedestal. You separate them from the Christ in you. And now they really think they are the priests between you and God. We have to crush this mindset by realizing our identity. Those platforms are functions, not anointing or endorsement of God. Don’t get mixed up.

It’s time for our eyes to see where the kingdom really is. #identity #powerandlove #sonsanddaughters #nospecialperson #onlybelievers #normalbelievers

Eating In Faith

There is a difference between eating in faith, eating in fear, eating for fun and eating for indulgence.

When I was in YWAM 11 years ago, my buddy loved to eat chocolate bars. She’s a Caucasian. I asked, “Don’t you get sore throat eating them regularly?” She answered, “No. I don’t. You don’t get sore throat eating chocolates.” That was the first encounter that made me realise that we become what we believe ——- I was taught from young that chocolates cause sore throat. Therefore, I really experienced sore throat eating chocolates when I was growing up. 

What you believe is vital.

I used to eat potato chips only because I like them. But I learnt to eat them in communion when God gave me a new understanding in the Word.

This is where it gets really uncomfortable whenever I shared some crazy testimonies of healing that defy human wisdom and human logic. It’s also one of the reasons why I couldn’t write them in the book as they would create unnecessary offenses.

There is so much about Redemption that I read and mediate about from the Word and believe in. If the Word cannot be applied to poor countries where there is no access to “healthy” food, then the Word is no longer unchanging and immovable, but subjected to cultural and environmental differences. It is only in the developed nations where we have the time and money to think about getting good “organic” food.

If the Law of the Spirit of Life within us cannot crush the law of sin and death in our body, it is no longer divine and supernatural. It becomes a mere concept that feeds our mind, but doesn’t reach our heart.

The Law of the Spirit of Life is so formidable that it can destroy every form in death in the food that you eat.

Disclaimer one: I’m not against eating healthy. Neither am I against anyone on a food diet or health program. I’m just going after Redemption truth.

Disclaimer two: Don’t indulge in what you like. Because we should be masters over our bodies. By the way, I love coffee and chips but I do without them intentionally from time to time without any side effect. They are my slaves yay God 🤣🤣

P.S: This brand of chips is yummy!

Anchored In The Word

If we are anchored in the Word, we will remain steadfast and immovable, regardless of every wave of doctrines that come our way.

If we are anchored in the Word, we will be able to discern whether a speaker is speaking from his experience or from the Word of truth. It is impossible to agree with every popular speaker just because they have a good reputation. More often than not, what they teach sometimes contradicts each other, yet we do not perceive, because we are busy chasing after men of God, sermons, conferences, books, teachings, etc instead of going after the Word ----- the God of men.

It's time to get 'first-hand' communion with Him from the Word, instead of second-hand information from speakers. Don't forget that they too, had to go for 'first-hand communion'. You are not living in the Old Covenant where you need a prophet to speak God's Word to you. You are living in the New where no medium is needed. Many teach the priesthood of Christ but what they do disempowers believers from being priests.

Stop eating food that has been digested and spat out from someone's mouth. Start eating fresh food and digest it on your own.

Perhaps we need to remove the pulpit ministry temporarily in Singapore. We have too much rojak going on. And not many give themselves to study the Word with the Holy Spirit.

Maybe it's time to return to what Francis Chan is doing. When the Word is not taught from a top-down leadership, it opens up a whole dimension for healthy discussion and the top leadership is subjected to scrutiny and he has to be submitted to the authority of the Word instead of being the pope in his ministry.

This is why until today, we don't see the fruit that Smith Wigglesworth and John G Lake had. They fed on the Word directly.

Disclaimer: There is a place for teachers of the Word. But more importantly, we need to be taught by the Spirit of Truth, who teaches us all things.

Eating Healthy??

Eating healthy food & diet is good. But it won’t keep you healthy. Sickness is not in the natural. If it is, you are good with healthy diet.

Sickness is unnatural. It is spiritual. It was due to the Fall of creation where sin came in. If we don’t see this, we will continue to go after the latest trendy diet and those dietitians and nutritionists continue to earn big bucks without knowing that created food has also fallen.

How do you know that the organic food is really organic just because it’s written as ‘organic’? Organic food is food produced by methods that comply with the standards of organic farming. The standards are known to VARY worldwide. How do you know that the standards are 100% pure organic? What about the people and the environment in which these organic food are produced? They have all fallen and are not perfect.

You cannot eat your way to health. You can only believe the Way for health. If our trust in not in the perfect and complete works of Christ on the Cross, we will be in trouble.

His ‘stripe’ is the reason for healing. And His blood is the reason for divine health.

Redemption is the Way for health.

Credit & Responsibility

Credit & Responsibility

Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” - Luke 10:17

The disciples had success in healing the sick and casting out demons. They were overjoyed. Then Jesus replied to them.

Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to YOU, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” - Luke 10:20 (emphasis added)

Jesus didn't say, "Hey, it's not about you. It's about Me. You know? It's Me! IT'S ME okay! Apart from ME, you can do nothing." 

Well, He's not into the credit game like many people do. People with false humility will often say, "It's not me. It's Jesus." (But they share the testimonies like it's them though)

I remember hearing a blunt preacher ever said to someone with false humility, "Yes. It's not you. You are just a piece of shit."

The truth is.... the credit is indeed with the disciples ("the spirits are subject to YOU") because of Christ's empowerment. In the New Covenant, we are one with Him. You can't separate the two.

Jesus didn't correct His disciples about whatever credit or that they were overjoyed at the miracles done through them. Because there is nothing wrong to rejoice. It is only wrong if you act humble, which is hypocrisy.

Yet Jesus directed their focus to this, "Rejoice because your names are written in heaven." In other words, "Rejoice because you are a son; you are a daughter. Rejoice in your identity."

It is because of sonship and identity that the miraculous flows. "These signs follow those who believe..." 

Pursuing the miraculous will result in pride. On the other hand, knowing your identity will put you in the right perspective before the Father. And you rejoice because you are a son and the kingdom is in you, where signs and wonders are the reality of your identity and the world you live in.

So when you see a miracle working through you, you rejoice, "Father, I thank You that I am Your son. What a privilege to manifest Your kingdom. You are in me and I in You. Thank You for loving me and making me Your son." 

I promise you. This will keep you in the healthiest place.

FAST FORWARD TO ANOTHER INCIDENT

The disciples failed to cast out a demon and they couldn't heal a boy. So they asked Jesus.

Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” - Matthew 17:20

Jesus didn't answer, "Hey, it's not about you. It's about Me. You know? It's Me! IT'S ME okay!"

This is the time when most people will be quick to run away from responsibility.

"I don't know."

"It's not my job to heal. My job is to pray."

"It's not God's time yet." (Probably the most spiritual answer)

Jesus said, "Because of YOUR unbelief." (Matthew 17:20 emphasis added)

If it wasn’t God's time, Jesus would be moving against the Father by setting the boy free (Matt 17:18). We have become so religious that we stop looking to the Word of truth.

It's time to go deeper into the Word, than to listen to every kind of teaching from the place of experiences.

Confronting Sickness Relentlessly

Recently, God has been speaking to me to confront sickness more aggressively than before, like a bull that is relentless.

On Wednesday, I received a call from the childcare that J was running a high fever. I dropped what I was doing and went straight to pick him home. When he saw me, he cried, because he wanted to go to Legoland on the following day. We had promised to bring him there. He knew that if he were sick, he would not be able to go.

I comforted him and said, "Don't worry. Jesus will heal you."

I took his temperature when we arrived home. It was 39.1 deg C. A thought immediately came into my mind, "If wifey were here, she would give him paracetamol. If I love wifey, I should do the same, because she would be concerned." 

Another thought surfaced, "This is my son. I should not take any risk. I can take the risk for my own life, but not his. He's my precious boy." Well, the thoughts always sounded like yours. 

At this point, I remembered my history with God. In the past one year plus, I had seen a lot of breakthroughs ministering to my own son ----- especially for fever and flu.

Hence, I ministered to him and I decided not to give him any medication for the high fever.

Disclaimer: Please don't take this as a method. I'm not discouraging anyone from taking medication. Don't risk your child's life unnecessarily. I have my own journey before I came to this place of conviction. It has been pretty challenging to walk this whole thing out, when few share the same belief. Some may say that I'm crazy. You can say that. I'm crazily zealous for divine healing, because I went through the experience caused by an incurable disease.

Wifey texted me and asked about his temperature. I just replied that I would take care of him and monitor his temperature.

Within a couple of minutes, it dropped to 38.2. In less than an hour, it dropped to 37.0 (and this falls within normal temperature for a young child).

On the next day, we went for our getaway as he was completely healed. And by the grace of God, he played happily at Legoland. My wife kept saying, "This is really a miracle." She said, "Finally, you are seeing breakthroughs for your son in this past year."

What's the point of this sharing? There is a place where we don't give up when we don't see the results. It is either the enemy wears us out, or we wear him out. I'm choosing the latter. I'm going to go after divine healing more than ever before. We need to walk out what we believe, not just say what we believe.

I'm still not seeing consistent breakthroughs for healing for my wife. Sometimes, it works. Sometimes, it doesn't. And I'm not giving up. Let's not give up.

I want to see divine healing and health for our own family, as easy (and same) as for strangers and people in the streets/meetings. There should NOT be any difference. If John G Lake could see such consistent results for his own family, so can we in our generation. It doesn’t make sense to win the whole world but lose at the home ground.

Let's 'bull' our way through, because it will bless the lives of many. In John G Lake's time, he made Spokane the healthiest city. In our time, let's make Singapore the healthiest city because we stand for divine healing with no apology and no compromise. Jesus!

Google Trend

I did a Google trend search on the word "Jesus" and saw this result (for the past 5 years ----- worldwide).

The consistent spikes in the search were apparently in March-April, during the Easter period. The smaller spikes were during the Christmas period.

What does this reveal?

Resurrection Sunday (Easter) brings hope into the lives of many, who are searching for an answer to meet their needs. It also means that people are most open during that festive season.

Christ IN you is the Hope of glory. While everyday is the day to represent and manifest Him, Easter is a crucial time to GET OUT OF THE CHURCH buildings and let the Word become flesh. Jesus!

The Practicality of Being Led By The Spirit Part 2

Last week, I read this verse and suddenly had a fresh understanding. I had read it so many times through a period of saturated meditation but I didn't really think of this.

If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. - Rom 8:13

It was this verse that led me to write Part 1 of this post. In the first post, I highlighted that if we take a closer look at the life of Jesus and the life of apostle Paul, we will realize that they were rarely waiting for the Spirit to move them. Most of the time, it wasn't "the Spirit tells me to do this". On the contrary, they just went ahead to do what they were sent to do. They knew what it meant to live in Oneness with the Spirit of God.

Knowing what it means to be led by the Spirit, thus, is crucial to Christian living and it is a powerful key for walking out Romans 8:13.

Being led by the Spirit is not something flaky or necessarily spontaneous. I don't have to be waiting and walking in the streets aimlessly, or circling around a location, "depending" on the leading of the Spirit to direct every step I take. If that is the case, you may want to ask the Spirit if you should brush your teeth the next day, or if you should get out from bed when alarm triggers.

To be led by the Spirit has to do with the doing (behaviors and actions). With that, we can dig deeper.

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. - Gal 5:25

There is a difference between living in the Spirit and walking in the Spirit. The former has to do with identity, while the latter has to flow out of identity into our doing (behaviors and actions).

But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. - Rom 8:9

Because the Holy Spirit dwells in us, we are in the Spirit (aka "we live in the Spirit"). At the same time, we are justified by the Spirit (1 Cor 6:11).

The just shall live by faith. - Rom 1:17

Putting the verses together.... Since we live in the Spirit, we are to walk in the Spirit, which also refers to living by faith. Hence, to be led by the Spirit is simply to live by faith.

Check out the following passages:

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are SONS OF GOD. - Rom 8:14 (emphasis added)

For you are all SONS OF GOD through FAITH in Christ Jesus. - Gal 3:26 (emphasis added)

Scriptures interpret Scriptures. Living by faith is equivalent to being led by the Spirit. When you do something through faith in Christ, you are led by the Spirit.

Not convinced? Read further.

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. - Gal 5:18

...for you are not under law but under grace. - Rom 6:14

Putting the verses together. To be led by the Spirit is to be under grace. How do you appropriate His grace? It is always through faith (Eph 2:8). How do you live under grace? BY FAITH!

Living by faith also means obeying God's Word. Faith comes from hearing and hearing from the Word of God (Rom 10:17). Thus, acting in faith has to do with acting on His Word.

The Word and the Spirit are synonymous. They are never separated. I can't remember if it was Lester Sumrall or Kenneth Hagin who said this, "If you want to know the will of God, read the Word. If you want to be led by the Spirit, DO THE WORD."

In a nutshell, being led by the Spirit = living under grace = walking by faith = doing His Word. It is built on a sure foundation, not something impromptu or flaky.

You don't have to be prompted by the Spirit if you are already prompted by the Word. The Great Commission, for example, is the Great Permission to minister to ANYONE at ANYTIME. You don't need the Spirit to "highlight" someone to you, in order to love and minister to that person. That's not being led by the Spirit, because the Spirit always confirms the Word.

When we understand this, we will be able to interpret the following.

If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. - Rom 8:13

Interpret: If by FAITH you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. How do you do that practically?

You simply believe, agree and act on the Word about who you are in Christ. "Father, I thank You that I am so pure, holy, blameless, above reproach and righteous. My body is subjected to me. I am the master. My body is the slave. It cannot sin without my permission. My body is an instrument of righteousness. I thank You it is used for Your glory." And you pray this BY FAITH, even if you just messed up. Because this is the only way to put to death the deeds of your body ------ by the Spirit. #beledbytheSpirit #undergrace #walkbyfaith #dotheWord

Meditate on the Word

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. - Acts 10:38

Have you ever wondered why the Holy Spirit didn’t move Dr Luke to write “Jesus, the Son of God” or “the Son of Man”, or “the Son of David”?

If it were the “Son of God”, then this verse would probably not be applicable to us. If it were the “Son of Man”, He would be seen as the Head of humanity and/or the Messiah.  If it were the Son of David”, He would be seen as the King of the Jews (or Messiah too).

God anointed Jesus of Nazareth. Nazareth is a city that was despised, rejected and esteemed lowly by many. In fact, the Jews didn’t think that anything good could come out of the city (John 1:46).

Yet God anointed Jesus of Nazareth! God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit AND with power.

It is interesting that the Bible actually separates the two —— Holy Spirit and Power. In Acts 1:8, Luke wrote that “you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you...” But in Acts 10:38, Luke separated the two. This tells us that the Holy Spirit is not power. Do you have power when He comes? Absolutely!

But the Holy Spirit came for a greater purpose. He came for our identity.

The Spirit in us is the confirmation that we are His sons and daughters (Rom 8:16). The Spirit is sent because we are anointed (Isaiah 61:1) as His sons and daughters (Gal 4:6). Therefore, to be anointed is simply about our identity as His sons and daughters.

The Holy Spirit cannot make you more anointed because He came to confirm your anointing (1 John 2:20-27). He came because you are anointed, not because He’s trying to make you anointed. (Sorry, charismatics...)

The despised, rejected and lowly One was anointed with the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 61:1) and with power (Luke 4:14). That qualifies anyone of us who is despised, rejected and esteemed lowly by others, whether it’s in the world or in the church. Our identity is confirmed by the Holy Spirit, instead of the (haughty and critical) spirit of men.

Just when nobody thought any good could come out of Nazareth (John 1:46), Jesus went about doing good. The desire in you to do good reveals your identity, anointed as sons who are good and do good. Your behavior does not change your identity. It confirms it.

Jesus healed ALL who were oppressed by the devil. Since He healed the sick and cast out demons, it means that every sickness is an oppression from the devil. Nothing can be clearer here. It destroys every idea that sickness is part of God’s will, plan or discipline. We need to deal with sickness as though we are dealing with the enemy, because it is an oppression.

The last part of the verse says that “for God was with Him.” God was obviously with Jesus, because the Spirit rested upon Him and never left. Sometimes, I hear things like, “We invite the presence of God to come....” Since when did He ever leave? (Heb 13:5)

However, I believe that this verse is referring to the awareness that brings forth the fruit in 1 John 4:4. The awareness of the presence of God in the face of the sickness (the oppression of the devil) is the key for healing ALL who were oppressed. For greater is He that is in us.

Acts 10:38 is about walking in our identity as sons and daughters. This gives us the awareness of who our Father is and who we are in Him, so that we confront every sickness boldly and crush every oppression that comes our way. If goodness can come out of Nazareth, everyone of us is qualified to demonstrate what Jesus did.

The Groanings

The Groanings

The Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. - Romans 8:26

The charismatics often say that these groanings have to do with praying in tongues. That is adding self-interpretation into the Scriptures.

Nowhere did the Scriptures say that groaning = tongues.

The word 'groaning' in Greek is the word 'sigh', which is a feeling that is internal and unexpressed. That is why it 'cannot be uttered.' If groaning is praying in tongues, then it can be uttered because tongues are also uttering.

The only time where the exact same Greek word appears in the New Testament is in Acts 7:34, which points to Exodus 2:23-24.

And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. - Exodus 2:24

Applying the law of the first mention, this groaning is NOT tongues, because the Israelites did not have the Holy Spirit within them. They were groaning because they were crying out for help (Exo 2:23) due to slavery. Groaning reveals a desire or burden within them to be set free from the bondage of slavery.

The root word of groaning is "stenazo", which also appears in Mark 7:34.

And looking up to heaven, He sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”. - Mark 7:34

This is Jesus groaning (stenazo), aka sighing, before He ministered healing to the man. It is an inward feeling that isn't expressed in words, but it conveys the desire and burden. Jesus looked up to heaven and signed (groaned), revealing that the groaning is UPWARDS towards God the Father, just as the Israelites' groaning went up to the throne of God.

Have you had times when there were pressures from all sides but you didn't know how to pray for yourself, yet there was a desire and burden within? The Holy Spirit was interceding.

Have you had times when there was a desire and burden to pray for a person, but you didn't know what to pray? The Holy Spirit was interceding for that person through the 'sighing' in you.

The desire, burden and intention are sufficient for the groan to reach the throne. We are still thinking religion when God is thinking union and relationship. We are ONE with Him. This is why the feeling within you is the place where intercession by the Spirit takes place.

What a loving Father we have!

Love Gives Gifts

But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way. - 1 Cor 12:31

The word 'excellent' means 'beyond measure, exceedingly, superior, surpassing." In other words, there is a way to manifest the gifts of the Spirit that is WAY MORE SUPERIOR.

And Paul spent the whole chapter on Love.

People have been wondering and trying to learn how they could move more effectively in the gifts of the Spirit. The simple and most effective way is Love.

Love is where all the gifts flow. "You can give without loving, but you can't love without giving."

For God so LOVED the world that He GAVE... (John 3:16). 

God is both Love (1 John 4:8) and the Giver (James 1:17). Since we are created in His image, we can move in the same way as He does. How?

He dwells IN us. In other words, both Love & the Giver 'are' IN us. When we love on others, gifts flow. Because Love always desires to give. The Giver in us can't wait to give. When we love, we are not only manifesting Him, but also allowing Him to give the gifts to people through us.

Stop trying to think about the mechanics of how gifts work. Start loving and see how the gifts flow naturally through you.