The water has stopped and a journey to be cleansed (Adran)

Genesis

¹⁷ For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth. ¹⁸ The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. ¹⁹ They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered. ²⁰ The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than fifteen cubits. ²¹ Every living thing that moved on land perished—birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind. ²² Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. ²³ Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; people and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark.
²⁴ The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days.

During my sickness, I had many people sharing dreams, prophesising to us based on the convenant of the flood (rainbow)to our situation, even I saw a a landing on a rainbow in front of my hospital bed. I know God's intention is not to condemn but to cleanse so we can have a future. With this being our affirmation, we continue to leave another day.

I was in hospital since 3rd Oct and I am now back at home since 11th Oct. During my time in hospital, that was no doubt my physical lowest point. the 8 days in the hospital. I have lost half of my lung capacity, I haven't been eating and sleeping for over a month, the pain was not been managed. T

Nevertheless, He alone is my fortress. His divine provision is equally real. He continues to make minor adjustments bringing extra layour of comfort to my situaiton everyday. I still lost my left lung capacity but this is caused by the disease which can only be treated via Chemotherapy.

Now I am finally home, I feel as if the rain has stopped , the next to come will be a time of long term cleansing and recovery required.  

I found myself, I have to re-learn everything, starting from A,B,C.................I need to  relearned how to eat, how to walk, how to sleep, how to control pains, the entire family dynamics in how each one of one work together needs change too. how to do devoption, how to tak to God,  We pray whenever we can as a family and learn to support one another in a practical, emotional and spiritual way. 

There is no doubt that this incident has brought my family together spiritually.


Prayer items,
I will be seeing my oncologist on 20th Oct, she will decide if I am fit to take the next Chemotherarpy, 
I have 7 days to get back to a better physical strength to prove it to her that my physical can take the toil. This means, I need to eat, walk and eat more...

Consider it Pure Joy (Adrian)

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, 
whenever you face trials of many kinds, 
because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 
Perseverance must finish its work 
so that you may be mature and complete, 
not lacking anything. -- James 1:2-4 

I am no where near this yet, still going through the same physical and emotional struggles but these are the thoughts going through my mind. I am learning to rejoice in whatever situations. (Please remember this in your prayer)

• We all expect life and ministries to go a certain way, 
• Even healing, to be done in a certain way, in a certain order. 
• If it doesn't go with the way we expect, we thought God is not hearing our prayer.
• We all want immediate fixes with as little pains as possible.
• Often, this kind of mentality remove an element of perserverance and growth that can only be nurtured through many trials. 
• Some of these trials are there for my/our own good and they are necessary.

Even in church

• People often coming from a culture seeking for what's the best to offer in the market with as minimal effort to plug in as possible. 
• Some of the church activities are aiming to do exactly the same, they are not necesssarily bad but a church also needs to learn how to breed mature faith with deep perseverance .  
• Failing this, we are breeding a culture of people no longer coming to church seeking to serve but rather to BE served. 
• When there is a better speaker somewhere, they will switch to a better field momentarily. There is no deep committment to Jesus, His calling and the community where a deeper love can only be growth within a deeply bonded and committed community.

Shared with you a sermon from Francis Chan - 

• Since I couldn't go to the church yesterday, this was my Sunday worship.  
• The Task -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2Dqc8-42tI&t=3346s.

Francis Chan visited one of the underground church in Church,  and they shared about the 5 pillars of their church foundations. 

1. Deep committment in prayer
2. Deep Committment on the word of God
3. Preaching of the gospel where everyone is preaching on the gospel
4. Regular expectation of miracles
5. Followers Embrace Suffering for the Glory of the Christ

Very insightful......
He said when people actually embrace suffering, you have an unstoppable force.
What can they do to you....



Concept of suffering

• " Why people quit on ministries? because it is too often hard. Has anyone everyone encourage to rejoice through suffering?" Francis Chan said. 
• Think of the eternal reward that we are going to get. 
• It doesn't mean it's not hard but it is well worth it.
• Sometimes, this is part of the growth journey

The Convenant of the Rainbow (Adrian)

¹² And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: ¹³ I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. ¹⁴ Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, ¹⁵ I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. ¹⁶ Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”
¹⁷ So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.” Gensis 9

Physical side remained the same today plus I had diarrheaa all day long, part of the side effect of a drug that I am taking. 

But God gave me a few assessories upgrade. Due to the pain, it was impossible to find a position where I can sit and sleep comfortably, First God provided me with a super comfy chair in comparison to others today, Then he moved me to a different bed with a better mattress. 

From the new position, I saw a super clear rainbow landed onto a tree. A sign of God's affirmation of His convenant between Him and all mankind. And, also to me, the Rainbow is a sign to cleanse and complete rebuild.

By the end of today, I was moved to a single room with a private TV, a comfy chair and a comfy mattress. 

How Good He is to me!! I didn't even ask for this. He knows what I need.

Also today a brother sent me a text message - 
Quoting a few things - including convenant of Rainbow, this is so that we can have a future. plus Psalm 84.

What an affirmation from God !!!!!

Pay attention to verse 6-7 and verse 12 below....

Psalm 84 

¹ How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty!

² My soul yearns, even faints,
    for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
    for the living God.
³ Even the sparrow has found a home,
    and the swallow a nest for herself,
    where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
    Lord Almighty, my King and my God.
⁴ Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
    they are ever praising you.

⁵ Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
    whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
⁶ As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
    they make it a place of springs;
    the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
⁷ They go from strength to strength,
    till each appears before God in Zion.

⁸ Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty;
    listen to me, God of Jacob.
⁹ Look on our shield, O God;
    look with favor on your anointed one.

¹⁰ Better is one day in your courts
    than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
    than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
¹¹ For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
    the Lord bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
    from those whose walk is blameless.

¹² Lord Almighty,
    blessed is the one who trusts in you.

Walking Through the Valley of Death (Adrian)

Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

In the past week, it was like walking through the valley of death, my left lung has collapsed, I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat, in pain, breathless and totally exhausted. I have never been this physically low in my life. There is no light in the tunnel apart from clinging onto His rod and staff, these are my only comfort. 

As I am journeying into the valley, the journey was as hard as anyone could have imagined. God didn't make it easy for me BUT His Rod and His Staff is just as equally real, divine and powerful.

So many things happening in the space of this week confiming that again, again and again, the Father that I follow is so Good to me.

My brother and his girlfriend plus Christine's sister came to visit me from HK and Peijing yesterday. God opened up a door for me to share my faith with them, something that I have been praying about for the last 30 years. God gave me an opportunity to pray with them individually in my death valley moment. How great is this!

Last night, I regained a little strength, God prompt me to pray for the patients in my ward, 2 of them are very critical and has been restless the previous night. I prayed for life over death in the ward, I prayed for peace over restless. Last night, we had the most peaceful night while I am in hospital. How faithful is this!

This morning, I started the day with my morning devotion, God gave me Psalm 18, I read through the whole chapter. 

 verse from below
¹² Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,
    with hailstones and bolts of lightning.
¹³ The Lord thundered from heaven;
    the voice of the Most High resounded^.

Yesterday, as I was transported to another hospital for an emergency radiotherapy, I saw a blasing sun cut throught the the dark clouds . What a confirmation!

¹⁷ He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
    from my foes, who were too strong for me.
¹⁸ They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
    but the Lord was my support.

Then, God prompted me to pray for my generational sins and curse, where there is a pattern of pre-mature deathness in the line of the family. Both my parents died in my 20s, one of my uncle and auntie died left with 2 teenager girls years ago. I repented, asked for forgiveness, breaking of bondage and healing in the family line.

I recommitted my life and my family to Jesus today and walk another day.

Pslam 18
1 I love you, Lord, my strength.

² The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
 called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
    and I have been saved from my enemies.
⁴ The cords of death entangled me;
    the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
⁵ The cords of the grave coiled around me;
    the snares of death confronted me.

⁶ In my distress I called to the Lord;
    I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
    my cry came before him, into his ears.
⁷ The earth trembled and quaked,
    and the foundations of the mountains shook;
    they trembled because he was angry.
⁸ Smoke rose from his nostrils;
    consuming fire came from his mouth,
    burning coals blazed out of it.
⁹ He parted the heavens and came down;
    dark clouds were under his feet.
¹⁰ He mounted the cherubim and flew;
    he soared on the wings of the wind.
¹¹ He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—
    the dark rain clouds of the sky.
¹² Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,
    with hailstones and bolts of lightning.
¹³ The Lord thundered from heaven;
    the voice of the Most High resounded^.
14 He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy,
    with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
¹⁵ The valleys of the sea were exposed
    and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke, Lord,
    at the blast of breath from your nostrils.

¹⁶ He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
    he drew me out of deep waters.
¹⁷ He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
    from my foes, who were too strong for me.
¹⁸ They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
    but the Lord was my support.

Came through the Roof (Adrian)

Mark 2

2 A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. ² They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. ³ Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. ⁴ Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. ⁵ When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”


Last week 4 dear friends of mine from Hong Kong came just to see and support me. The timing and the content of what we have shared was divine. They are like the 4 friends of the paralyzed men in the Story above. 

Last Saturday, I was leading a church Healing Prayer Meeting. Little that I know my left lung has already collpased at the point, I could barely moved and talked. These 4 friends essorted me to and back from the SOC church building giving me and Christine much emotional and practical support in the space of a few days just like so many others from our church community. 

I did what I could in the healing prayer meeting. But honestly not much, I was the most physically sick person in the room, about 60 attended the prayer meeting. The Lord came into His presences. May He continues to bring much healing to His church and people as each one coming forth to Him. 


Psalm 18

²⁵ To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
    to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
²⁶ to the pure you show yourself pure,
    but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
²⁷ You save the humble
    but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.

God show great mercy to the one who is humble before Him. 
What are you waiting for?
Come and receive His mercy and healing......... 

My God is a Good Father (Adrian)

2 Corinthians 6:18 “And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

I am writing this in the hospital bed.

• Yesterday I have admitted to the hospital, my condition has worsen in the past few weeks. 
• My first line target drug has stopped working
• My biopsy result confirmed that I am not eligible for the next line target drug.
• Therefore my next line of treatment will be chemotherapy. 
• But, I am scheduled for a radiotherapy treatment tomorrow to tackle a couple of issues first.

Last night, opposite me in the same ward,

• There were 2 very sick old man, 
• One man looks very much in his passing, his entire family came around to visit him. The doctor is trying to explain his situation to them. 
• They were both in a much sedated condition.
• I was thinkng what was going through in their minds, I doubt very much.

Lack of capacity to process new things

• In the last few months, I was in quite a bit of physical pains. 
• In my naive mind, I was hoping to have a lot of quality devotions and quiet time in my sickness. In a way yes, but there is a severe lacking in mental capacity in taking on new things as my mental condition is constantly distracted by my physical condition.

Only thing to cling on to

• Under this kind of condition, my devotional need is retracted to one thing or one question only. My question is my God, the God that I believe, is He a Good Father ?
• If He is , He must be with me from the beginning to the end. that's all I care about and this ALL I need to know.
• Since there are few new insights to take on, I can only dig back to my memories, my previous walks with my Father, my high and lows, how He carries me through every time, how He brought everything to fruition in His perfect timing.
• My only conclusion to this question is My God, He has been a Good Father to me and He still is today in every single details.
• This is something that I wholeheartedly believe and I cannot deny
• This is the only thing that I am clinging onto and this is the only thing that I need to know.

Our Daily Walk

• Brothers and sisters, pay attention to your daily walk, devotion with the Father God.
• Every Little events that he has guided you, dig deep, make journal, build up your memory with the Father God as these memories are going to carry you to eternity.
• It is not something that you can just cramp in your last hours, cause you wouldn’t have time and mental capacity to do so.
•  
• Not only know your Father God in your mind, know Him in your Heart and Soul.
• He is a good Father, if we know what He has planned for us, we would not ask Him to take anything back.