Good morning. Good morning. Today is just a very exciting day. We're going to be doing a tag team preaching today as we've done before.
So Vijay is going to be joining me later and sharing God's Word. One of the reasons why we do a tag team is because we really want to raise up people in the different gifts within the congregation and give opportunities to really grow in that.
So I'm just excited to be able to do this and Vijay is just going to be sharing a little bit later with us.
Let me just pray for us and then we'll get going.
Father, your Word is powerful.
I pray this morning that you would speak to us.
I pray, Lord, even as we're looking at this topic, which I know is just a controversial topic,
but it's one that we need to hear, Lord, because you speak it in your Word.
So I pray, open our ears, open our hearts to just be sensitive to what you want to say to us this morning.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
Great.
Great. Welcome.
If you don't know me, my name's Chris.
I'm a teaching pastor here at Watermark.
It's just great.
Great to see you.
And if you've been here for a few, a couple of weeks, we've been looking at a new series going through talking about the Holy Spirit.
And we've said that the Holy Spirit is the creator spirit, the one who creates the whole world.
And as he's part of that creation, he also recreates us as Christians and brings us new life and new birth.
And he's changing us.
And we saw last week how the Spirit kind of gives us a new operating system.
And so we have a new way where we don't have to rely on our own strength, our own power to try and change ourselves.
But he gives us his Spirit to change us to be the people that he's making us to be.
And so today we're going to look at a controversial topic of prophecy, okay, and how the Spirit works in prophecy.
And this is one of those topics which raises a lot of questions and a lot of issues.
And we're not going to be able to deal with all of them today.
But one of the things we are going to be doing is, if you see in your bulletin, there's going to be a Q&A on the Holy Spirit and gifts and things.
And we just want you to kind of come up with questions and email me in questions.
I want it to be a great kind of beginning of discussion and dialogue as we really talk in getting God's Word about what it means to talk about spiritual gifts together.
So I don't know what comes to your mind when you think of the word prophecy.
I grew up in what is called a cessationist church, which means they didn't believe that gifts like tongues and prophecy continued.
And we had a kind of a great, it was a great congregation, but there was just, it was very kind of intellectual all the time.
A little bit dead spiritually.
Then I went to what is called a charismatic Anglican church.
And some of you wonder whether those two things go together.
But, and through my childhood and then I actually went for a few months to a Pentecostal Bible college.
And when I was there, you know, I had some great experiences, but I also had some very negative experiences.
I had some experiences of being pushed over, like by people trying to pray for me.
I had experiences of false prophecies where people prophesied that my allergies would be healed.
And they weren't.
And after that, that really messed me up.
And then I had, you know, I started to hear different people preaching.
And they would just take kind of verses from the Bible to just say whatever they thought it meant to say.
And eventually, I got very disillusioned with all of it.
In fact, you know, I got to the point, you know, I had some people who kind of say,
Oh, I saw a cloud in the sky and it looked like a chicken.
So that means like I should have chicken for dinner tonight.
And all these kind of strange things.
And I just became very cynical, very cynical of all of it.
I went there to a church where they taught Scripture well.
They had a great community together.
And they didn't talk about the Holy Spirit at all.
And so I just kind of lived with that.
You know, I became what I would call a I smoke but I don't inhale kind of Christian when it talks about the Holy Spirit.
I believe in the Spirit, but I don't kind of do the kind of some parts of the Spirit.
I don't practice.
I'm very cynical.
And so as being a watermark as well, I think one of the things that I've realized,
I think we can have been a little bit of a kind of I smoke but I don't inhale kind of church.
We haven't talked about spiritual gifts really or prophecy or any of those things at all in the congregation.
And many of us, I know, prefer to stick with just kind of what intellectually we feel comfortable with.
If you're like me, that's what I'm like.
And if you have negative experiences, like I've had some negative experiences,
we don't even necessarily want to think about this.
And it's very interesting because if you look at the different ways people's personalities work as well,
some of us are very rational kind of people.
Some of us are kind of very feely, intuitive people.
And we all kind of tend to look down on each other.
Okay?
And that's even in churches that's often the way.
Okay?
But what you see in Scripture is God has made both us to have truth and experience.
He's made heat and light.
He wants us to really grasp both of these things together.
And as we as the elders have been looking at Scripture together, we just prayed,
we felt God really convicting us that we need to kind of rethink about where we stand as a church
in terms of thinking about spiritual gifts.
It's not tenable when you read Scripture to say we smoke but we don't inhale.
And so when God's Word says to us,
earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy,
if I'm just all the time cynical about what prophecy means,
then actually I've been living in disobedience to what God is saying.
And we, as elders and as a church, we need to repent of that
and actually begin to understand what does it really mean when the Scripture calls us to these things.
So we don't want to let tradition, we don't want to let our experiences shape the way we view this.
We want to get back to Scripture and what it teaches us so that we can be obedient to that.
And so I know some of us are going to kind of have,
we disagree with different things that we'll say, and that's okay.
We want to have a conversation and we want to start this conversation,
but we want it to be one where we're getting back into what God's Word tells us,
not just what my experience has said.
So what we're going to look at today is,
I'm going to start sharing a little bit about what prophecy isn't,
and maybe what it is,
and then Vijay's going to come and talk a little bit about attitude to it,
and our response to it.
Okay?
So that's where we're going to go.
Okay.
One of the things that Scripture is absolutely clear about is,
and it's unique in Christianity,
is that we have a God who not only speaks to us,
he also speaks through us.
Okay?
I mean, just stop and think about that for a minute.
The God of the whole universe,
the God of the whole universe,
you know, he could be kind of like a distant boss
who occasionally kind of throws out orders to us
and then goes back into his office,
but he's not.
In fact, every religion,
whether it's Hinduism,
whether it's Islam,
whether it's Buddhism,
whether it's Judaism,
God is not personally wanting to reveal himself to you.
But in Christianity,
it says God wants to speak to you
because he desires a relationship with you.
I don't know if you get that.
Jesus says it like this.
He says,
My sheep hear my voice.
I don't know.
Have you heard Jesus' voice?
Okay.
Are you a Christian?
If you're a Christian,
you've heard Jesus' voice.
If you've read the scriptures,
you've heard Jesus' voice.
Jesus wants to speak to you.
And I don't know if you,
some of you maybe are agnostic.
Some of you are maybe not sure whether it's God.
And you may find this difficult to believe.
And some of us, even as Christians,
we kind of have this idea that
God's this kind of floaty thing out in the sky,
you know, a little bit kind of distant from my real life,
not really interested in me.
And we say things like,
you know,
if there was a God,
why doesn't he kind of hold a press conference for me
and just kind of tell me what he wants me to do?
You know, perform a few miracles.
Just let me know he's there.
And the Bible says,
well, what more do you want?
If I wrote in the sky,
in big letters with your name,
you'd still find a way to explain it away.
But he sent Jesus,
who spoke for God,
performed miracles,
who rose from the dead.
He started a movement
which spread out of peaceful means,
taking over the whole of the Roman Empire
because of a radical love.
And he left his word to us
as a demonstration
of an unmatchable love
that he both calls us to
and reveals to us.
And we can keep trying to explain
this kind of God away in our lives,
but he says,
in the gift of prophecy,
I want to give you another sign
that I desire to be in relationship with you.
So he says,
so the question is,
what if you asked him today
to speak to you?
Are you willing to listen?
So we're going to look at this passage
in 1 Corinthians 14.
Just have it in your bulletin.
Just going to pick through
a few little parts of it.
But the context of this passage
is the Apostle Paul,
he's writing to a church
which is kind of wild
about spiritual gifts.
They're kind of completely
out of control.
I mean,
you think of the most excessive,
charismatic church,
if you've ever been in one,
that you can think of,
Corinth is like off the scale.
Off the scale.
It's just a free-for-all.
Everyone's just speaking in tongues,
prophesying all over each other.
Everyone's trying to get a word in.
Everyone's trying to get themselves
promoted as better than everyone else.
The gifts are being abused.
Everyone's all about themselves.
And in that environment,
do you know what?
I think many of us would say,
yeah,
I don't want anything to do
with spiritual gifts like that.
I don't want anything to do with that.
And yet,
Paul doesn't say that.
He doesn't say,
hey,
just stop prophesying, guys.
Quit the tongues.
He doesn't say that.
He says,
I want you to excel in gifts,
but gifts which build other people up.
And just do it in good order.
That's what he says.
Do it in good order.
So,
here's just a few things
to think about what prophecy isn't,
and then we'll talk about
what prophecy is.
Okay?
With me?
Good.
Okay.
Just before this passage
in chapter 13,
it says,
as for prophecies,
they will pass away.
As for tongues,
they will cease.
As for knowledge,
it will pass away.
For we know in part
and we prophesy in part.
But when the perfect comes,
the partial will pass away.
The first thing,
the prophecy isn't,
it says prophecy isn't finished.
Okay?
Some people think
prophecy died out
in the first century
when the Bible was written.
What Paul says
is that spiritual gifts,
including prophecy in tongues,
they have a time limit.
They have a time limit on it.
But that time limit
is the return of Jesus.
When the perfect comes,
not the first century.
Until that time,
prophecy,
though it's not perfect,
it continues.
Okay?
It continues.
So we should expect it
in the life of the church.
First thing,
it isn't finished.
Secondly,
it isn't just for spiritual
kind of elite people.
Verse one says,
pursue love,
earnestly desire
the spiritual gifts,
especially that you may prophesy.
I want you all
to speak in tongues,
but even more to prophesy.
Now,
who's Paul talking to?
He's talking to the whole church.
And I don't know,
in the Old Testament,
if you were,
God raised up particular people
at particular times,
you know,
Isaiah,
Ezekiel,
all these kind of guys,
the Spirit came on them,
they heard revelation from God.
And it was so pure
that they wrote it down
in Scripture,
and that's what we have
in the Bible.
But you know,
in the Old Testament,
if you're a prophet
and you got it wrong,
do you know what would
happen to you?
You get stoned.
Okay?
So if you said,
I think your mom
is going to come
to visit you on Friday
and they came on Thursday,
that was it.
Okay?
That was the end of the game.
Why?
Because the idea was
if you got it wrong,
you could lead people
away from God.
And there were only
a few people
who could speak
on God's behalf.
But now,
the Bible says,
in Acts 2,
when Pentecost come,
when the Spirit comes
on everyone,
it says,
everyone,
all your sons and daughters
shall prophesy.
It says,
no one in the New Testament
gets stoned
for getting it wrong.
Doesn't matter
if you're a CEO,
if you're a cleaner,
if you're educated,
if you're uneducated.
Doesn't matter
if you've been a Christian
for two weeks
or 20 years,
every Christian
can hear from God
and every believer
should desire
and ask
to be able
to prophesy.
So don't,
do you?
Do you?
Okay?
Prophecy isn't finished.
Prophecy isn't
for spiritual elites.
Prophecy isn't
astrology.
Okay?
Some people think
that prophecy
is kind of getting
your fortune read.
Okay?
Like kind of
something about the future,
something kind of
a little mysterious,
a little kind of,
ooh,
that's exciting.
Get some inside knowledge.
That's not what prophecy
is about.
It's not about
satisfying your curiosity
to find out what you're
going to be doing
in two years' time.
Prophecy
is about loving others.
That's why it says
pursue love
and pointing others
to Jesus.
That's the key thing.
God's providing ways
for you to love
other people better.
Okay?
So,
let me ask you.
Would you like
to be able to have
the right words
at the right time
for the right situation
to just speak
into somebody's life
so their life,
they will be built up,
they'll be encouraged,
they would grow
in faith?
Would you want
that gift?
Two people would.
You know?
That's what he says.
Desire it.
He says,
it's God's discretion
what he gives
and when he gives it,
but it's our responsibility
to desire
and to pray for it.
So,
it's not finished.
It's not just
for spiritual elite people.
It's not astrology
and it's not authoritative
like scripture.
1 Corinthians tells us
in verse 29,
let two or three prophets speak.
Let the others weigh
what is said.
If a revelation
is made to another
sitting there,
let the first be silent
for you can all prophesy
one by one
so that all may learn
and all be encouraged.
Some people get nervous
about talking about
prophecy in church
because the Bible
can easily get pushed aside
in favor of like
emotional,
subjective experiences.
But prophecy,
what he's talking about here,
he says it's fallible.
It can be wrong.
That's why you need
to test it.
That's why you need
to weigh it.
That's an important part of it.
If someone comes to me
as they have in the past
and says,
you know,
the 24th of December
is going to be
the end of the world.
I'm going to look
in scripture
and say no one
knows the day
so I'm going to just
tune out of that.
Right?
If somebody comes to me
though and says,
okay,
the Bible says to me
don't commit adultery,
I don't sit back
and say,
well,
let me just test that.
Right?
It's authoritative word.
Do you see the difference?
So prophecy's not finished,
it's not for elites,
it's not astrology,
it's not authoritative
like scripture,
what is it?
Okay?
What is it?
I said what it isn't.
What is it?
Verse three,
it says,
the one who prophesies
speaks to people
for their upbuilding,
encouragement,
and consolation.
Prophecy
is a spontaneous thought
that is given by God
to an individual
for strengthening you.
That's what the word
upbuilding means.
For challenging,
that's what the word
comfort,
encouragement means.
And for comforting you
in your trials
and difficulties.
You know,
it's about,
it can be about
predicting the future,
that's foretelling.
You know,
in Acts 11,
there's this guy,
Agabus,
he predicts a famine.
You know,
it leads to the church
donating money
for victims.
But in this passage,
it's more about
foretelling,
which is about
strengthening your faith,
challenging you,
how are you walking
with Jesus?
And encouragement
in your life.
You know,
I had a,
when I was growing up,
I remember I used to
kind of preach sermons
in my head a little bit.
I don't know why,
it was just weird.
And I remember though,
once at a week,
I'd never preached
before in my life.
I went to a camp
and at the end of it,
a random lady
came up to me
and said,
I think you're going
to preach to many people
in your life.
And something in my heart
just said,
yeah,
that's right.
Like,
I'd never preached before.
And,
first sermon
I ever preached,
the pastor said to me
afterwards,
you are never meant
to preach again
in your life.
Yeah,
I hope they deleted
the recording.
But,
I knew,
like,
something in my heart
said,
no,
that's not right.
because the word
that had been given
to me
confirmed something
that God had already
placed in my heart
and just strengthened me
through that situation.
That's what prophecy
is about,
strengthening you
through your life.
And by the way,
if someone gives you
a directional word,
like,
you should do this
or do this,
it should affirm
something which God is,
you personally should
affirm that in your own heart.
Don't just make a decision
because I tell you to do it.
It should be something
God's already affirming
to you,
working in your heart
already.
Okay?
That's what prophecy
is about.
I'm going to hand over
to Vijay
to talk a little bit more
about our attitude
to it.
So,
good morning.
Hi.
So,
my name is Vijay.
So,
I think we are all glad
that Chris actually
tested the prophecy
he got,
right?
So,
that he continued
preaching.
So,
thanks Chris.
So,
today I'll just take
where Chris left.
So,
we'll be looking into
what is the right
attitude?
What does Bible say?
How should we
come towards
this concept
of prophecy
or this
spirit,
gift of spirit
prophecy?
And then we look
into a life application
and there's Esther
today who
also shares something
what has recently
happened in our life
to really learn
something from that
for us as a church
and then finally
we'll work on the
response.
How should we respond
to this whole thing?
So,
that's what we'll be
doing.
So,
before I start,
I heard a funny
account in the past.
So,
there's this guy,
a young guy
who wants to get
married
and so he's been
praying
and he said,
he comes to the
pastor and says,
you know,
I've been praying
about getting
married and God
gave me this verse,
Hebrew 416,
where it says,
receive mercy
and get grace
in time of help
or time of troubles.
And so he says,
oh,
and then,
since then I've met
these two ladies
named Mercy
and Grace
and I think God
is telling me
to marry them both.
Yeah?
And this pastor
is a quick-witted
pastor and he said,
okay,
alright,
so let's pray
about it
and let's talk
about it tomorrow
again.
So the pastor
comes next day
and he says,
alright,
so I've been
also praying
and really,
I got this verse
from 2 Corinthians
12,
9,
where it says,
my grace
is sufficient
for you.
So I think
you should not
marry both,
just one.
So I think
that's not the attitude
we'll be talking
about today,
but it just shows
it's one of the
concepts where
people have
misused
in church
pretty much.
And really,
if we look into
what is the right
attitude towards
prophecy,
and in 1 Corinthians
and also in Thessalonians,
it gives you a very
clear account
of what Bible
says prophecy
or what's the right
attitude towards prophecy.
prophecy.
So I think Chris
already mentioned
about be eager
to prophecy
in Corinthians 14,
39 and 40,
and it says,
do not forbid
the work of spirit
and do it
in a fitting
and orderly way.
So,
let's talk about
eagerness,
yeah?
What does it mean,
eager?
And in another
version,
it says desire,
desire to prophecy.
So,
prophesy.
Can you go to
the next slide?
So I think the desire
by nature of it,
it's something you
want,
desire.
And actually,
if you,
I think we all
desire
different things,
materialistic things,
right from chocolates
to a most expensive
property in Hong Kong
right now.
So,
there's a range of
things we desire,
and in the secular
world,
everybody will agree
achievement,
the origin of an
achievement is
somewhere in
somebody's desire.
So,
it's the origin
of something.
It's a start.
And actually,
it's a very
misused thing,
I would say,
if you read in the
news and internet,
I think desire is
often time used
in a very
sexual context.
And actually,
it is skewed
in a lot of ways
how God has
actually designed
desire to be.
And I think Bible
tells you to desire
a lot of good
things.
Actually,
there is,
let's say,
a lot of
philosophy around
this.
And I think one
of the things in
Buddhism is to
completely make you
void of desire,
this nirvana,
the state you
will reach.
So,
actually,
Bible actually
says desire
good things.
And actually,
I think it was
Chris who mentioned
a desire can be
replaced only
with another desire.
And I think
that's a very
important thing.
I think God
wants us to
desire good things
and have passion
for it.
And if you want
to be,
I mean,
it's something you
want to have more
and more and more
of.
So,
that's the kind
of spirit
what Bible
talks about
when it says
desire eagerly
the prophecy.
prophecy.
So,
with that,
if you can go
to the next
slide,
please.
So,
again,
coming to the
right attitude
towards prophecy,
1 Thessalonians
now in
chapter 5,
it clearly says
do not quench
the spirit.
So,
what does that
mean?
So,
don't have,
don't dismiss
it.
So,
if something,
if there is a
prophetic word
comes to anybody
in church
or anybody,
don't have
this
resisting
attitude
towards it,
yeah?
Or dismiss
it right away
saying that
it's so much
out there
it cannot
be true.
I think
we cannot
have that
dismissive
attitude
or even
an indifferent
attitude
towards it
to say,
oh,
prophecy is
not for me.
That's not
the attitude
what Bible
tells us
to have.
And also
it says
do not
treat prophecies
with contempt.
Yeah,
I think
often time
there is
an inclination
for us
to ridicule
it because
it's so much
sometimes
feels like
we are not
in control
of it.
So,
that's also
not what
Bible tells
us to do.
So,
don't have
an attitude
of ridiculing
but test
them all.
It says
you can
test them.
It's not
something you
say,
because if
it's a
truth,
it will
stand the
test.
So,
I think
you can
test them
with
biblical
teachings
and also
people in
the church
who are
living in
the spirit
by talking
to them.
We'll look
into that
aspect a bit
later,
more in
detail.
And after
you have
tested them,
hold on
to it.
And if
it's a
truth,
it has
to be
also held
on to
in your
life for
that to
come to
fruition.
So,
sometimes
we receive
in a
weekend,
in an
experience,
some nice
verse,
and then
we tend
to forget
sometimes.
I think
it also
needs some
kind of
holding on
to it
for it
to be
realized.
So,
in summary,
what are
the do's
and don'ts,
right?
So,
I think
we looked
at
indifferent
attitude,
this cold
attitude
towards it.
That's
a clear
no-go.
And it
says,
do not
dismiss
or resist
that in
your spirit,
and do
not
ridicule.
So,
that's
what I
wouldn't
do when
I get
a prophecy
or you
are in
a setting
where prophecies
are being
proclaimed,
but rather
be eager.
So,
this engaging
attitude,
how can I
engage with
it?
And test
it.
I would
not take
anything
without testing
at the end.
Of course,
it has to be
personally affirmed
and tested
with respect
to biblical
teachings
and hold
on to it,
as I said.
And that
also takes
some effort.
It's not
something
automatically
happens.
So,
next slide,
please.
So,
I just
wanted to
quickly talk
about this
part as
well.
So,
testing it
and
Corinthians
chapter 4,
1 Corinthians
chapter 14
says,
do it in a
fitting and
orderly
way?
And what
is it?
And I
think it
has to
be fitting
to biblical
teachings.
And it
cannot
contradict.
That's the
thing Chris
also mentioned.
It cannot
be,
has a
super
authority
over biblical
teaching.
And that's
a good test
for us,
how we
can say
whether this
is the
word from
God or
not.
And if
unsure,
and I
would approach
elders and
spiritual
leaders in
the church
and talk
about it.
And I
think that
is also in
that process
it would
also get
cleared and
affirmed in
your life.
And everything
must be
done so
that the
church is
built up.
And here
again,
there could
be that
prophecy comes
into a
church and
there are
divisions in
the church
sometimes because
some people
believe this or
that and that.
but I
think in
overall,
it has to
be building
the church
in the right
direction.
What the
Bible says
and what
God wants
the church
to be
developed in
that direction.
So it
has to
be building
church in
the way
God wants
us and
really to
strengthen,
encourage,
and comforting
people.
And so
that's kind
of the
framework.
What God
gives us
could be the
right attitude
towards prophecy
and how it
works in
our lives.
With that,
I'll now
move on to
what is the
relevance for
us here?
So what
should we
do about
it?
And I
think if
you really
go one
step into
1 Corinthians
chapter 14,
it talks about
what happens
when unbelievers
come and
you're
prophesizing.
And what
happens if
you read
that account,
you can
read it
in your
house.
I think
the person
who comes,
the unbeliever,
he really
gets convicted
and he's
laid bare
before God,
it says.
And finally,
his conclusion
is God
is really
among you.
So prophecy
is one way
where God
really shows
his powerful
presence in
our life.
And that's
the thing.
So presence
and power
of God.
God's
real presence
and power
of God.
And it's
oftentimes a
life-changing
experience.
And in my
life,
actually,
I could
say,
I spent
20 years
of my
life in
India,
in a city
south of
India,
and I've
never taken
a flight in
20 years
of my
life.
And,
I mean,
I would
only travel
through trains
and things,
but I
received
once a
prophecy
with Isaiah
55,
and God
clearly
affirmed in
my spirit
that I'll
be going
to different
nations.
And it
was a
prophecy
which was
kind of
too big
for me to
handle,
so I
talked to
my mother,
prayed with
my friends,
and,
but I
was personally
very affirmed,
so I had
no doubt,
but it
was just
too big
for me
to,
and since
then,
in the
last 17
years,
I've been
in different
nations,
so I've
been traveling
all the
while to
U.S.,
France,
Germany,
so I
either studied
or worked
in Shanghai
and now
in Hong
Kong,
and my
job pretty
much is
about going
to different
countries and
doing things,
and,
I would
never have
dreamt
something like
this my
life would
be,
and God
is not
done yet
as well,
so it
just has
changed my
life experience
and what
God has
shown me
and how
this story
has blessed
my family
and my
friends has
been also
amazing,
so it
could be a
very life
changing
experience,
and really
to strengthen,
encourage,
and comforting
people,
and it's
the way to
show and
follow the
way of
God's
love.
What it
means is
probably
you could
be skeptical
when you
receive a
word for
somebody else,
but that
would really
build that
person up,
so I
think it's
also you're
blocking God's
love sometimes
because you
don't feel
it's logical
or sometimes
even you're
not in
control,
and oftentimes
it's bigger
than yourself,
these kind
of words,
and so I
think there
is an
aspect of
really also
loving others
in this,
and so that's
something we
have to be
open to as
well as
church.
So with
that I
would like
to invite
Esther,
who is
going to
share with
us some
of the
recent
experience she
has had
with prophecy,
so,
yeah,
Esther,
hi.
Good
morning.
Good
morning.
So,
yeah,
Esther,
tell us a
little bit
about yourself
first.
Yeah,
my husband
and I
started coming
to Watermark
when it
first started,
and my
husband Pat,
and I
have two
boys,
so I'm
a full-time
mother,
and in
my free
time,
I
help out
at school,
at different
volunteer work
and ministries.
Cool.
So,
tell us about
this experience
you had two
weeks ago,
I guess.
Yeah,
two weeks.
So,
I was
invited to
serve at
this Christian
retreat,
and it
was a
three-days
retreat
at
Taofeng
Shan,
and my
role was
to be in
the chapel,
there was a
small chapel,
and I
was serving
as an
intercessor
there,
so basically
I'm spending
three days
inside that
small chapel
praying for
the team,
the speakers,
and the
people who
were attending.
Yeah,
yeah.
So,
you had a
prophetic
experience,
can you?
Basically,
because we
were inside
the chapel
all the time,
we didn't
get a lot
of information
about the
people coming,
and they
were very,
the organizer
was very
careful not
to release
much information
to us,
it was not
a purpose,
you know,
to gossip
and guess,
so we
were to
pray by
what the
Holy Spirit
was showing
us for
the three
days,
and I
was a
little bit,
I felt
inadequate,
of course,
at the
beginning,
but by
faith,
I served
with two
other friends
and fellow
sisters in
Christ,
and it
was just
quite amazing
that in
a lot of
ways,
we prayed
and felt
the Holy
Spirit
guidance in
leading us
to certain
types of
prayers,
or to
pray certain
verses for
certain people,
we didn't
know them,
and many of
the team
members I
didn't know,
so we
would look
at their
photo,
and if we
sent something,
we would
just pray,
and God
used dreams,
so there
was one
night when
I felt
like it
was a
nightmare,
because I
had all
sorts of
dreams,
and it
was about
marriage,
about adultery,
about really
ugly things,
so I woke
up,
I told my
roommate,
who was also
serving with
me in the
chapel,
she immediately
picked up
something about
marriage,
she herself
repented about
her own
marriage first,
and so we
did together,
I think that
was God's
prompting for
us to also
be cleansed
in the
journey of
this,
and so we
just felt
that God
was telling
us that he
was going to
speak into,
because it
was a
women's
retreat,
and just
speak into
the women's
lives about
marriage,
and little
did we
know that,
so my
other sister
who was
serving in
the chapel,
she didn't
stay with
us in the
same room,
she came
over,
and she
shared a
room with
the speaker
that morning,
and she
said,
oh,
this morning
Dada is
going to
share on,
actually the
topic was to
study God's
word,
but she was
going to share
a personal
testimony on
her own
marriage,
how it
was broken
and that
God healed
her marriage,
and so we
were so
encouraged that
the three of
us actually
got the same
message to
pray for
marriage,
and then we
got words
about unforgiveness,
bitterness,
so we were
just praying
along in that
direction while
the speaker was
doing that
that morning,
and afterwards
I heard some
team members
came back
with feedback
that indeed
there were
some people
attending and
they were
recovering from
divorces,
and a lot of,
so God did
bring comfort
and strengthen
the team as
well.
Amen,
amen,
so just,
what was your
initial thoughts
when you received
something like
this,
like your dream
and things,
you said you
were kind of
nightmarish,
right,
but you
took the
courage to
talk to
your roommate,
right?
Yeah,
I think I
just felt
that if it
is from the
Lord,
he would
confirm it,
and the
Bible does
say that,
you know,
two or three
prophesy and
test the
others,
and for the
others to
also test it
out,
and so we
had spiritual
directors,
pastors in
the team as
well,
so they did
come in in
the morning
and brought
the speaker,
and the
speaker did
confirm that
she felt the
same message
should go
out,
so it was
a confirmation,
so the
Holy Spirit
doesn't just
talk,
you know,
if it is
something,
I felt that
if God was
really going to
do something
like this,
he would,
you know,
give us
scriptures to
back up,
and also,
so he did
bring us to
the scriptures
on forgiveness,
on bitterness,
and we just
had so many
confirmations,
actually.
Right,
right,
so you kind
of tested it
out.
Yes,
we did.
Cool.
So,
yeah,
what was
the impact
on your
life when
you went
through this
experience,
and also you
shared something,
what happened
to the others,
they really got
healing in their
marriages and
things,
so what was
your impact
in your life?
I was just
completely in
awe of how
the Holy Spirit
speak so
clearly to
us,
and we
were kind
of sometimes
battling in
that room for
certain members
of the team,
and he would
just give us
the so-called
strategy to
how to pray.
We had no
idea how to
pray,
I mean,
we were just
three little
people in there,
but God
just carried
us the whole
way,
so we were
really encouraged,
our faith is
strengthened,
and especially
at the end
when they did
a sharing
from the
ladies,
so the
ladies that
we've been
praying for,
so after three
days we were
allowed out
to meet them,
we just
sometimes hugged
them and cried
when we heard
their testimony
because we
knew exactly
we had been
battling and
praying for
them for
those things,
they had no
idea why we
were crying and
hugging them,
but we
knew exactly.
Wow,
cool,
that's very
powerful.
Thank you,
Esther,
for sharing
that.
Thank you,
Vijay.
So,
isn't it
amazing?
It's so
powerful and
it could
really change
people's
life and
I think
it's also,
as Esther
said,
it was just
love was
overflowing
in that
atmosphere.
So,
I think,
and that's
the experience
we as
Watermark
also want
to go
through with
this whole
prophecy.
So,
I guess,
after hearing
that,
what would
be our
response,
right?
Let's take
a minute or
two to
look into
it and
I think
after this,
Chris will
just close
us in
prayer and
take us
through.
So,
what would
be our
response,
basically?
I think
the first
thing is
eagerly
desire,
right?
This whole
thing of
eagerly
desire to
prophesy.
And I
think we
really need
to,
it's kind
of a
commitment
to as
well.
if it
is what
it is,
what God
says,
and the
relevance to
our life,
I think
we have
to show
this
eagerness
to
prophecy.
So,
how do
we do
this?
I think
we have
to
intentionally
pray and
practice
as well.
And here,
I think
a CG
group is
a perfect
setting,
and to
really
practice.
I would
say we
should just
use some
time to
listen to
God if
there is a
word which
God wants
to speak for
people around
you in
CG and
really start
practicing that
culture.
And really,
you can
make mistakes.
It's all
right to
make mistakes
in that
environment and
trusting.
And there
are people
who are
there where
you can
test it as
well.
But I
think we
have to
start
practicing
it.
If it
is important
as what
God's
told us,
prophecy,
desire eagerly
prophecy.
And the
other thing
we felt,
I think we
all at
some point
have shown
some indifference
towards prophecy
in our life.
And I think
we have to
repent as
personally and
as corporately
as church.
Really having
this cold
attitude towards
prophecy or
indifference
and whatever
it is,
or the
dismissive
attitude,
resisting
attitude,
whatever it
is for you
in your life
today.
If you feel
you want to
repent,
we'll also
have some
prayer time
later.
We'll have
the prayer
leaders here
who would be
happy to pray
for you at
that time.
time.
And of
course,
the contrary
is also
true.
If you have
accepted prophecy
without testing
in the past,
I think that's
something we need
to repent as
well.
Because this
can be also
very misleading
in life.
And what Chris
shared,
it could be
really detrimental.
So I think
we as a
church also
need to repent
of this part.
Yeah, so
with that,
I think
I'd like to
pass it to
Chris,
and I think
let's all
grow in this
aspect to
really feel
the powerful
presence of
our God
in our
lives.
Close us
with,
in Revelation
19, it
says this,
it says,
the testimony
about Jesus
is the spirit
of prophecy.
Ultimately,
everything we're
talking about
is about
actually the
glory of
Jesus in
our lives,
that he
would be
honored.
And I
know some
of us will
have a lot
of questions
at the
moment.
Okay, what
about this?
What about
that?
We want to
have an
avenue for
asking those
questions.
That's why I
want you to
email me.
We're going
to have a
couple of
sessions at
the community
center where
we can really
actually talk
through these
things.
Because for
some of you
it would be
new.
For some
of you it
would be
scary.
For some
of you it
would be
exciting.
But we
have a
God who
is a
glorious
God and
Jesus is
the one
who is to
get all
the glory.
So what I
want us to
do is I
want us
just to
stand up
and I
want us
to just
close our
eyes.
And I
want us
to pray.
God
to
pray.
I'd like
to invite
the prayer
team to
come down
as well.
But I
want you
just to
in your
heart right
now to
respond to
God.
Jesus says
my sheep
hear my
voice.
Some of
us have
gone a
long time
without
really being
able to
recognize
what Jesus
voice sounds
like.
For some
of you it
may be you
just need to
repent that
you've been
so wrapped
up in
so many
other
things.
That actually
even the
desire to
hear from
God and to
love people
by speaking
to them
what he's
saying is
just absent
from your
heart.
Some of us
we just need
to actually
pray.
Father give
me.
I want that
gift of
prophecy.
I don't
want to
just be
weird.
I don't
want to
just be
but I
want to
be able
to bless
people.
Drawing
them closer
to you.
So if
you are
maybe you
are saying
okay I
want to
repent of
either an
attitude where
you've just
accepted some
things in
your life
where you've
just been
naive or
you've just
in your
heart you
just dismissed
all of
those things.
Just take a
moment now just
to come before
God and just
to speak to
him.
some of
you may
just actually
want to
pray for
that gift
of prophecy
and I'd
invite you
just to
come forward
with the
prayer team
here for
them just
to pray for
you.
Pray that
God would
work that
in your
life.
So let's
just do
business with
God for a
minute.
Just speak
to him.
Give him
what's on
your heart.
God
.