Releasing the word...

Was at pre-service prayer with the Upper-Room Ministry (URM, aka The Intercessory Team) before 3rd service on Sunday. Yes, I have fulfilled one of my new year 'resolution'. I am now officially part of the URM team!!
Anyway,we usually gather in a room 1 1/2 hour before service begins to intercede and pray for anything and also preparation for service.

We stood in a circle as usual and one of our brothers led us through worship... Couldn't remember the list of songs but I could remember that we sang the Power of Your Love.
As most of us prayed in tongues and dwelled in His presence, it somehow felt like there was a space in between, sorta feeling. For a moment there, I felt that there were actually bible verses from 2 different books appearing in my thoughts. I don't know why but I kept rubbing my hand on my head, it's like as though something was actually going on 'up there'. There was a pretty long lingering of emptiness again... as though something is meant to happen. Being rather amateur-ish in releasing words, I often tend to battle in my head wondering whether it would fit the moment. Also,am usually not confident enough to put those words into perspective or rather fearful of blabbering something that doesn't make any sense. It has happened many times and it happened again this time, I did not release the word in the end.
We walked out of the room, the worship leader just now turned to me and said he could see that as if God was touching my head just now and He did instill something in me and the question is, why didn't you release it? I was like, kinda stunned and for a moment there I felt rather guilty.
Sigh.

Went in to service, it went on as usual, as we went into time of worship, one of the songs sung was "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus". The worship leader actually added some verses into the song.. and I remembered it went something like this:

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
look full in His wonderful face,
then hour by hour you will know His power,
then you know you have run a good race."

My heart somewhat started to race because it hit me and made me realise that this was exactly what one of the verses that came into my mind was all about.
It was: Hebrews 12:1-2

¹ Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (NKJV)

A-ha moment, strike one.

The speaker in service preached about "The Holiness unto the Lord".

¹⁴ Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: ¹⁵ looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; ¹⁶ lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. ¹⁷ For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.
- Hebrews 12:14-17 (NKJV)

Jacob He loves, Esau He hates. Isaac and Rebekah had two sons, Esau and Jacob. God chose Jacob (whom He later renamed Israel) to be the father of His chosen people, the Israelites. God rejected Esau, because he had 'worldliness' in him, because he devalued the things of God just to satisfy his carnal need, he traded his birthrights away for a bowl of soup! There was no separation between the worldly and the holy, Hence, the Esau generation (also called Edom) could NOT SEE God!

I believe God is bringing the church through a series of reminders and heartchecks. If we want to see Him, He desires for us to be holy, for only the holy sees God. God is not interested in just getting us into heaven but his intention is to get holiness into us. Holiness is about separation from the world. One of the causes of 'unholiness' is worldliness.
Is God really in the center of every part of our lives? Or is He just another loyalty just like how the Philistines placed the Ark of the Lord in Dagon's temple among the rest of the other idols?
Are there actually other idols in our lives centered 'around our temple'?
I believe God is reminding His church to check their hands, and hearts. Are we lifting our souls to other idols????

Anyway, here's the second bible passage that was meant to be released.
It's Psalm 24:3:6

³ Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD?
Or who may stand in His holy place?
⁴ He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,
Nor sworn deceitfully.
⁵ He shall receive blessing from the LORD,
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
⁶ This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him,
Who seek Your face. Selah

A-ha moment, strike two. hmm..

Now I get what God means. I see the connection so clearly with the message now.
God was already speaking beforehand in the service and we could have interceded for a heart preparation for the congregation in receiving His word.
I guess I am not that 'spritually deaf' afterall, He was probably already screaming at my spiritual ears loud enough for me to hear. But I did not release it.. ;(
Lesson learnt. Speak.Up.

I typed out in an SMS the thoughts of what I believe God is conveying to His people. Sent it to a few people.

Hebrews 12:1-2 and Psalms 24:3-6
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
look full in His wonderful face,
then hour by hour you will know His power,
then you know you have run a good race.
Give us CLEAN hands and a PURE heart.
He WILL receive the Lord's blessings.
Let us be the generation that seeks Him, O God of JACOB.
We shall not sell our birthrights for the things of the world.
Fix our eyes on Jesus!!!

A brother mentioned that when he reread the SMS, he believes that birthrights resembles our citizenship as Malaysians. God is indeed going to do something really great soon. I really believe so too. Indeed let's not give up on what God has given to us.
Indeed he is not done with us on this yet.

In today's prayer meeting, we sang the song, Give Us Clean Hands and Open the Eyes of My Heart. By no coincidence at all, definitely. His words ARE still ringing through to the church. Let our eyes be fixed unto Jesus.. the author and finisher of our faith. So that we run by his example, casting down ALL our IDOLS, having clean hands and pure hearts, so that we can stand on that holy ground, and the eyes of our hearts, WILL BE OPEN to SEE GOD.