Lay hands on the sick. [stepping out in faith Part 2]

The dear lady student I prayed for last week came for her lesson yesterday. I didn't really want to ask her how she was, just wanted to observe and see if she was better. 

She seemed less croaky and much more vibrant.

But I went on with the lesson as usual until she brought it up.

" Oh. Whatever your laying hands thing must have worked for my throat. Coz I'm much better now. Not 100% yet but definitely recovering. Much more joyful"

I laughed and said, "That's great'. I should have said, "Praise God". :)

It was a great feeling to know God was healing this woman who had suffered from a throat issue for the past 3-4 weeks that couldn't get better.And God used me to be part of it.

Hallelujah.

More to come God?I do want to see more.

The OC experience - friends and brothers and sisters

Ben and his 3 sheep. Good to catch up with the Adelaide  people.

Eureka women! 

Rach and Nat, words cannot express how much your support has meant to me over the past 6 months - a year.

People from alla round Oceania. Hobart, Perth, Sydney and of course, BrizVegas.

Ravi and I being nuts!

Ah Twinny...always

I stepped out in faith

I did it. 

I've been struggling to think of ways to be salt and light at my workplace.

Today, I tried.

A lovely middle-aged lady who takes lessons from me has been sick for a few weeks from flu, esophagitis etc. Trembling a little, I asked her if she would like to be prayed for. She said she had been raised Anglican, but it was not really part of her life anymore. 

I said I was a christian and I would like to pray for her healing.I told her briefly I would pray in the name of Jesus for her healing, and I would place a hand on her shoulder  so that she would not be freaked.

So I did, by the grace of God. I said Amen after the prayer, and she did too.

Whatever happens now, by faith, God will do his work with whatever seed planted. 

It was scary just to do a simple thing like that.But I will keep looking for opportunities.

Praise God. 

Lord, I just pray that you will show your reality to my student and also that she needs to have a relationship with you. I also pray you will heal her completely Lord!

 In Jesus's name, Amen

Subtle perversion

Perversion, Pervert - really strong words. But we accept the perversion of things so easily if they are dressed up in a glossy, attractive way. Especially on TV.

I was watching 'Private Practice' while eating my late dinner after work. I like the show.The characters are good looking, the conversation is witty, the stories heart-warming, just like most drama series. However, I could hear the HS just speaking over the conversations. It's been more frequent since I have been alerted to what perversion is.

Wikipedia defines perversion as:

A concept describing the types of human behaviour that are perceived to be a serious deviation from what is considered normal or orthodox. Although it can refer to varying forms of deviation, it is most often used to describesexual behaviours that are seen as abnormal or excessive.

Collins English Dictionary defines it as:

1 any abnormal means of obtaining sexual satisfaction 

2 the act of perverting or the state of being perverted 

3 a perverted form or usage 

As always, it is the message about sexual behaviour and the concept of God that is perverted and dished out to be swallowed by many, believers and the perishing alike. 

In the last 3 episodes I have watched, there have been so many things that have pained me.

• The psychologist sleeps with 2 men at a time. Although she confesses she is in a mess, it is not seen as a bad thing. Cooper, the doctor tells her to enjoy as much sex as she wants. 
• An old lady is admitted to be treated for a stroke. She has a son who wishes her to live with her now, but she refuses. Turns out that she is lesbian and does not want to leave her partner.She had been with her partner for many years, even while she was married to her husband. Her son is upset, but later grants her a chance to be 'happy' now. the doctors encourage her to be 'who is really is'.
• Addison, the main character, cheats on her boyfriend with another doctor. She has done so before in previous relationships. She's a beautiful, intelligent, rich doctor. Though her friends tell her it's wrong, yet by 'following her instincts and her heart', she does it again anyway.
• Catholic doctor Naomi is divorced from her husband Sam in the same clinic. She has strong views on abortion, and is heart-stricken when one is carried out in the clinic. She believes religiously that it is wrong to take a life. But others argue that it is for the good of every woman to choose. But she does not feel a qualm to jump into the arms of Addie's brother and have 'good sex without a relationship'.
• The religious Southener patients who come in are often made to look like religious idiots who believe in the laughing possiblity of 'miracles'.

The show often leaves people feeling warm and fuzzy. But it's mostly perverted! Without being careful, one wouldn't even notice that much. Everyone's so human, loving and they are all so 'emotional' and compassionate.But it's all so WRONG!

I don't know, but I don't think I can watch anymore. 

Blind Blind Blind. O God. I ask not only that you open people's eyes, but you continue opening and washing mine. Let not the light in my eyes be darkness. Woe to myself and to anyone who will call darkness light, and light darkness. 

No, it is not denying our 'true selves' or other people's 'true selves' when we condemn homosexuality and lesbianism. A person might be biologically disposed towards it, just like they are towards alcoholism, or anger, or cancer, or anything destructive. One would be crazy to tell an alchoholic that it is his 'true self' to be continually drinking and drunk. One would be crazy to tell a person predisposed to anger and killing that it is his 'true self' to be a murderer. Yet this is what we are told about same sex relationships each day. 

It is a perversion to see sex between even a male and female thrown around so casually, and mistakes glossed over so lightly. 

It is totally skewed to be so stricken at the loss of a fetus and yet jump happily into casual sex

It is a perversion of the concept of God's followers that they are uneducated idiots.

But isn't that what I do everyday when I don't submit the entirety of my life and standards to the Word of God? When I  accept without testing all these subtle msgs? When I don't stand up for justice, righteousness, charity, love and for the evidence of the living God?

God. Help me. Help us all. Open the eyes of our heart and spirits.

I too, believe that marriage is to be between a man and a woman only

Miss California, Carrie Prejean stated her opinion. It was an opinion. A valid opinion just like any other opinion. This opinion has caused a lot of controversy which has appeared on international news.

This opinion has caused a celebrity blogger to lambast her on his website.

I was really saddened. How blinded has the world become...Even believers have lost the plot. So called christians [perhaps genuine believers, but very misguided], EG Miley Cyrus 'tweets':

"Jesus loves you AND your partner and wants you to know how much he cares! that's like a daddy not loving his lil boy cuz he's gay and that is WRONG and very sad! like i said everyone deserves to be happy (sic)."

Plainly, Jesus loves evreyone, gay or straight. Everyone has sinned. But God also asks for repentance. And for justice, mercy, righteousness! To stand for what He defines as truth. There is no absolute truth outside the perfect, holy, all-loving God.

I have added a few articles and links that I've found interesting. This one is by April Lorier:

Like the majority of Americans, I am outraged that Carrie Prejean, Miss California, who gave an honest answer to Perez Hilton’s question was not the Miss USA Winner. And isn’t it interesting that Perez chose the Christian to ask about gay marriage. Not a coincidence, I think. Hilton, a gay activist, is known for his uncouth ugliness with anyone who disagrees with him, and usually goes straight to YouTube to express his reaction with the filthiest of language.
I guess Hilton forgot that the majority of Californians voted in favor of marriage between a man and a woman only. But then, gay activism is getting uglier with every passing week.
What happened to Freedom of Speech? Nothing if you’re gay. But if you’re traditional, or a Christian, you had better work harder to be politically correct if you want to get hired. It is social engineering gone insane.
Average, hard-working Americans are given a list of “Politically Incorrectness” and every day something is added to the list. It’s as if some one (or some entity) is committed to shutting all of our mouths and begin to think “politically correct.”
I’m sorry. I refuse to be coerced into some one else’s mold. And I’m proud as punch of Miss California (who comes from the most liberal state in the Union) for staying true to her beliefs.

(c) 2009 April Lorier

Roland Martin writes in defence of her honesty here.

O... how the god of this world has blinded the eyes of many.... We need to pray.

Never been happier

Happiness. How does one define it?

I remember a few spots of happiness in my life. And it wasn't because there wasn't pain. In fact, when I'm in a happy phase, the pain I go through is intense too. The dealings of God are clearly defined and they are sometimes very difficult to handle. Emotions are purified. Sometimes the deep places are searched out and there is need for repentance or just replacing lies with truth.

But it's much better then numbness. It's better than feeling that life is normal and ok, but there is nothing much to look forward to. It's better than just drifting. It's better than feeling burdened by the day to day, no joy to carry you through.

I thrive on vision and adventure. Once I lose sight of the vision, it's hard to be happy. To feel alive.To be fully alive means to feel pain and joy in large amounts and to be able to trust God amongst it all.

I was sublimely happy in Adelaide, feeling like I was gobbling life up and savouring every spicy moment. Circumstances are very different now.

But I must say, I am quite happy.
There are a lot of challenges. There is a lot of pain. There is a lot joy. There are rich friendships. Most of all, I am savouring the plan of God. I'm living out the plan of God.

Just one homeless man - just a few homeless people

I'm listening to 'Cry me a river', sung by Diana Krall. It's one of my favourite songs. The melancholy and the 'aha, take that'-ness of the song speaks volumes to my troubled past. :)

The first line was 'Now you say you're lonely, you've cried the whole night through'.

I was feeling really lonely yesterday night. It was raining. The train was late. That meant that i would miss my connecting bus home and have o wait for one 20-30 minutes later. I was annoyed.

Walking up Queen Street Mall, I saw a homeless man sleeping on the benches. He was grubby.

I walked back and forth a few times. Suddenly, I felt a pang of compassion. Lots of pangs. I looked at my watch. I had 10 minutes. I skipped off to Hungry jacks and got a meal and ran back. I knelt down and I woke him up by saying, "Sir". I was feeling apprehensive. Will he be angry? Will he yell at me? Will I look stupid?

He got up and rubbed his eyes

"I bought some dinner for you. It's cold tonight.It'll be nice."

"Thank you dear. God bless you."

I exchanged names with him. His name is Barry. I chatted a little while before I had to go. He shook my hand. He said "God bless you, God bless you"

"God bless you too sir"

I went on. I saw a couple more homeless men sitting around in the mall.
I was thinking, 'Should I buy them all Hungry Jacks too?'

I looked at my watch. It was time to go.

Someone's more lonely than me tonight. A couple more are colder.

Perhaps I should go to the mall more often and buy dinner for people. Maybe this tie, I'll sit and chat. How do we be Jesus to the world? I don't know how to in the long run .
But I know that Jesus said:

Matthew 25:35-40

³⁵For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

³⁷"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

⁴⁰"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

One by one. Little by little.

Public transport

I had a super stressed trip to work. The 120 was late. I took the 125 to GU to catch the intercampus bus to Mt Gravatt. It was too slow. THe intercampus bus had left. Nvm. I waited for the 155 which would take the same route to Mt Gravatt. It was hopelessly late. I ended taking the next 120 backwards again. A wasted half and hour chasing different late busses. URGH!

Normally, the 120 is quite reliable. Once in a blue moon it plays up and leaves poor commuters like me stranded. Sigh.

I tried to remind myself, this is when I can remember I am not in control of my own life. I might fool myself in thinking I can be independant and control my circumstances, but I can't. Taking public transport, which involves half the ppl in brisbane in my life because some late driver or lagging passenger or bus failure will affect my day, proves that.

Likewise, when we do good or bless others, everyone around us is affected, directly or indirectly.
When we sin, creation groans under it, directly or indirectly.
We are all connected. We affect each other. And God set up this system of interdependancy and consequences of actions. Good or bad.

SIgh. But i got to work alright. I didn't have time for lunch [normally i get to work half an hour earlier] so I went hungry till a blessed break came at 4pm when a student was absent. I devoured my lunch then.

The day still went okay. Praise the Lord.