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Usually I don’t blog about Sundays every week like before, but last Sunday was so awesome that I have to give it a good exception. =)

Valentine’s Day. Chinese New Year. Most importantly, Sunday.

I set out of the house early to grab a tix for 2nd service, as it has been for the past weeks. The difference from other weeks, however, was that I was alone. Most of my CG could not come for church due to visitations except two, both of whom went for 1st.

Because of the reduced number of services, I was expecting a longer-than-usual queue for 2nd service ticket. After all, more people would want to cram into the Rock Audi right?

I was wrong, haha. The queue was shorter. It seemed that a lot of people needed to do visitations so they went straight for 1st. 2nd service fell to mainly people who are not Chinese, (I saw some foreign first-timers at the ticket queue) or people who don’t have to do many visitations, like me.

I was talking to one of the leaders before the service started, and overheard that Ps Lian was preaching, and Ps Prince is attending 2nd. I was surprised, because usually Ps Mark will guest-preach for Chinese New Year service. But no problem; an anointed preacher all the same. =)

It turned out to be an amazing sermon. What spoke to me was Ps Lian’s second point (she preached a three-point sermon!) on Daniel 1. It is a passage that really matches my season as a student. Not that it was a new season in the sense that I wasn’t a student before 2010, but it reminded me of what was being shared during one of the CG’s months ago, albeit in a different light, during one of the CG’s months ago.

But what really blew me away as when Ps Lian shared about the vine.

First thing first, Jesus has ordained for you to bear fruit; it is a closed matter. (Joh 15:16) It’s not a question of whether you will bear fruit or not.

What happens if you do not bear fruit?

‘Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; [fn] and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.’ (Joh 15:2)

Actually, the word “takes away” (or worse still “cuts off” as NLT says) is misleading, because in the original Greek, “airo” means “to raise up, to elevate, to lift up”. Why does He lift us up?

You see, in vineyards, the vines grow and cling on to a structure called “trellis”, a structure which looks like a cross. However, as the vine produces branches, there are some branches that do not cling to the trellis; as a result they are eventually on the ground, dusty and trodden. The vinedresser lifts these branches up and put it on the trellis.

Barrenness in your life is simply the result of you forgetting the Cross.

That is why when you are barren, the Father lifts you up and puts you on the Cross of Jesus Christ!

Beautiful end to the sermon, but the best was yet to come. At the end of the service, Ps Prince, who was in attendance, came on stage and gave a word of prophecy: it is going to be a year of aggressive healing, aggressive shalom, and aggressive love! Hallelujah!

And I was awed. I mean, God so placed me at the right place at the right time to be able to receive this for myself firsthand. I am so blessed. ^^

God really never shortchanges. I just feel so rich and full and fed. =)

Went for lunch with Jesus afterwards, and you know that the service was anointed and you are in the flow with He starts talking to you and you get revelation out of reading a label.

I was at Shokudo for lunch (salmon fried rice inside omelette is hallelujah!) and I was reading this label near a sword display:

“A samurai’s two swords are his source of protection as well as spiritual energy.”

Well, we have the real thing. Read Revelation 19:25. God’s word spoken has the power to protect you and refresh you!

I was just thinking, “but Lord, it’s not like God’s word in and of itself (like physical Bible) has power to protect or refresh me wad?”

And the Lord pointed to me that the sword was from His mouth. Same, the sword proceeds your mouth, child of God! It is of no use if your mouth is closed! But when you declare His word, angels respond and enforce God’s word over your life, and God’s word is life to your flesh! (Pro 4:23)

Awesome, and all this basically burned away the ten-minute waiting time for my salmon fried rice.