Arise
Sometimes God works in ways we cannot imagine. I mean He is God after all, and his revelations to me often come in very uncanny ways. That’s the beauty of it.
I was reading the bible on the Tuesday morning during C Zone C-side Camp, and I felt led by the Holy Spirit to read Mark Chapter 5. As I glanced through the particular chapter, I thought that the Holy Spirit has made a mistake, or maybe it was my mind playing a trick on me. The lack of proper sleep during the previous night might have taken its toll.
The entire chapter was about healing; A demon-possessed man, woman, and a little girl healed. I was young and healthy, and so were the people around me. In that case, why would any of us need healing? Furthermore, we had first-aiders in the camp like Elson, Ee Loo, and Wei Jie. Ahem. Professional First-aiders, mind you. But still I felt prompted to continue reading.
As I slowly skimmed through the entire passage, a particular word caught me.
Mark 5:41
Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise .”
ARISE. That one word brought down the presence of God.
Arise, do not get too comfy and satisfied in our comfort zone.
Arise, and step out of our comfort zone, into the perfect will of God.
Arise, and breakthrough.
With that, I prayed.
I prayed that:
Heart of God Church will arise and breakthrough.
C Zone will arise and breakthrough.
C5, C50, C8, C80, C9 will arise and breakthrough.
The people in our CGs will arise and breakthrough.
I will arise and breakthrough.
I prayed what Pastors taught us: If we want something we have never had before, we need to do something we have never done before. I kept praying.
After praying for more than half an hour, I felt supernaturally energised and spiritually refreshed. Even without proper rest, I felt so alive and kicking. The ending of the prayer with an AMEN brought the exhaustion away. The rest of the day before Revival Night #2 was history. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
I thought it was over, but God had other plans. It was just the beginning. When I am at the Omega, God is the Alpha.
I sat through the Revival Night in the front row, listening attentively to Charleston preaching. There came a part when Charleston mentioned that all of us should have big dreams for revival in our schools, army camps and where ever we are, and I felt a “click” in my spirit. What I have read in the morning in Mark Chapter 5 connected to what Charleston was saying.
It was a revelation stacked upon another revelation. It was a puzzle unravalled, and the different pieces falling in place to reveal the big whole picture. The video of Northbrooks further affirmed and confirmed my revelation.
The backdrop of the story goes like this. Jesus was called by one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus, to heal his daughter. But along the way, He was mobbed by a crowd, and a woman with an issue of blood touched Jesus’ cloak and she was healed. That delayed his journey to Jairus’ house.
Mark 5:35-43
v35 While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”
I believed that the rulers of the synagogue saw and heard about the miracle of the woman with an issue of blood, but the circumstances led them to doubt the power of Jesus. Unbelief crept into their hearts even after witnessing a miracle. They were speaking forth death.
We often hear of revival and breakthrough stories, and testimonies of miracles from the church, Pastors, our leaders, and our friends such as the revival in Northbrooks Secondary School. But looking at our own circumstances, we doubt that it can happen to us and our school. We speak death to ourselves; “It is too hard, all my friends don’t want to come to church, I am alone in my school, and etc.”
v36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.”
Upon hearing, Jesus countered the word by speaking life. Jesus knew that Death and life are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). Jesus was quick to bring down the words of death, and He was even faster to encourage the rulers of the synagogue.
We need to speak life into our circumstances. We control our circumstances, not the other way round. With faith as small as a mustard seed, we can move mountains. Do not be afraid; only believe. Do not be afraid of your circumstances, only believe and faith in God that miracles, revivals, and breakthroughs are possible. Jesus is the master of breakthroughs. It is a done deal.
v38 Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly. v39 When He came in, He said to them, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.”
The people saw in the natural realm. The fact that the child was dead lied before them. Jesus saw in the the supernatural realm, the fourth dimension. Even before Jesus performed the miracle and healed the child, he saw that she was still alive, but only sleeping.
Romans 4:17
(as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;
We need to see as God and Jesus see, and engage in the fourth dimension. As much as Jesus saw that the little girl was not dead, but sleeping, we need to visualise that our zone, and our CGs, are not dead, but only sleeping. The revival is not dead, but only sleeping, and we need faith to awake that slumber. Our people are not spiritually dead, but they are sleeping, and we need the power of God to awake their spirits. We need to believe that God is a giver of life to our zone and our CGs, and He will those things which do not exist (in the present) as though they did. Breakthroughs and revivals are knocking on our doors, who will be the one that will wake up and invite the visitors in?
v40 And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.
Our faith in God will bring about persecution and mockery. Jesus was wise, he detached himself from such, and entered into the atmosphere of faith. He went into the house with his disciples, people who knew that He was the son of God and that He had the power to heal the little girl.
We need to put the influence of the world outside, and step into the zone faith. Do not let persecution and mockery put you down. They are like a roaring lion, tricks of the devil to bring you down.
1 Peter 5:8
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
Constant Vigilance. Cast them aside and focus on faith. With faith, we can operate in the power of God.
v41 Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.”v42 Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.
Verse 41 and 42 brought into the context of my revelation and Charleston’s sermon further established my revelation. Jesus spoke and he commanded the little girl to arise. We need to believe, have faith, and speak to our Church, Zone and our CGs to arise. Arise and breakthrough. Now is the time.
The little girl was 12 years of age, and amazingly, so is Heart of God Church as of 2010. Heart of God Church had its very first combined service on 15 March 1998. Exactly 12 years, and I proclaim this, that we are not dead, but very much alive and growing. We shall not be intimidated by the Devil. We are the army of the Living God, always ready for war. Our future is amazing.
Imagine with me…
Then Jesus took Heart of God Church by the hand, and said to her, “Heart of God Church, cumi,” which is translated, “Heart of God Church, I say to you, ARISE.”v42 Immediately Heart of God Church arose and grew, for she was twelve years of age.
Dream BIG. Arise, and invite the Master of breakthroughs into our home.
