I met Garrett too! And I felt really privileged.

Just last Friday, Garrett shared with me something to help me understand myself better.

So for proof, our leaders DO understand us better than we understand ourselves man!

POWERFUL, and just during today's service, I got a revelation from one of the verses Pastor How used!

We all know, God made earth and God made man...

And everything on earth is planned and thought by God.

He can just say it... He can even just THINK it, and it will happen!

So what does it mean when we are made in God's image, according to His likeness?

It means, we resemble Him in many qualities...

One of them is that we can control things and situations with our thoughts!

Before you try a Jean Gray on your handphone, let me show you what I really mean.

Here's an illustration. Let's say something happen which makes me think you hate me. If I keep thinking this way, I will also feel that you really hate me (perhaps is the water crystals, but it just happens!). Sooner or later I get convicted that you seriously hate me from little things like not saying 'hi' to me, not being keen in talking to me, not wanting to go home with me (I'm hitting a few raw nerves already)... When I am convicted, I begin to, in front of you, talk or act as if you do hate me... And when you notice something wrong, you really begin to distant yourself away from me... And then I really think you hate me when you distant yourself away from me, and I begin to really feel that you... (and the cycle goes on and on in a downward spiral)

When you really think of something long enough, this happens to all of us. Agree?

Well, and that's how you control the world with your mind... At least, your world.

Let's take some real examples.

It was a thought of starting a church that Pastor How had, which turned into a feeling everywhere he went and everyone he met, which became a conviction and a calling from God to raise up a new generation, and then he became the visionary of this generation leading 1400 members of Heart of God church to impact all levels of society and all walks of life.

It was a thought of convicting younger people to give God the best years of their lives when Pastor Lia first saw 9 youths at the back row of a service, which became a feeling that wrecked her heart, which became a conviction and a burden to take them now or else lose them in future, and then she began personally leading the teen cell which has now grown to three quarter of the number of people in our church, who are in turn taking their generation for Jesus!

So you see, not every vision or dream from God comes in a form of a white light, or an angel calling out your name.

It all starts with what you think about every day. That's how God speaks to us!

I used to think, or rather, have a mindset that my CG is not very evangelistic due to many reasons. Not that they are bad, nor do they not love people, in fact I even came up with very good reasons (or rather, excuses) why. It turns out, E20 really wasn't, and E20 themselves really thought they weren't... worse, many people even outside the CG were convinced because of the way I thought, felt and led.

Well, I started to turn change that thinking and force myself to think that E20 can evangelize (and all of E20 say?). Thus, just last week we had 5 new friends! And even without the 5 new friends, I thought deeper and realised this:-

- Derry brought 8 friends to church in total, 2 are planted namely Tee Ang and Mark!

- Miaow Guan, breaking out of his hermit shell, brought 7 friends to church this year alone, and 1 is very good and coming back!

- Kenneth brought 4 friends to church in total, 2 of them are Anthony and Joseph!

- Tee Ang, more powerful, brought 2 friends who are coming back quite regularly!

Hence, after realising this, whenever I said "E20, let's EV and reach out!", I speak not requiring the faith to do something that has never been done before, I speak with the knowledge and thus faith to do something that has been done before and can be done again.

If you think you cannot do well in your studies, most likely you wouldn't, and certain people around you would most likely think the same way (aiya! a bit late ah!).

If you think you cannot rise up in your ministry, you won't, and you'll realise your fellow crew having more opportunities to rise up than you do.

If you think you cannot be a leader, not only will you not be one, you'll realise that you're seldom chosen or picked by your leaders.

If you think you cannot be a good leader, not only will you be a bad one, you'll be discouraged every single time your leader talks to you about your people.

If you think you cannot evangelize, not only will you not be able to, but people will shun you for pestering them to come to church.

If you think you cannot be a good son or daughter, not only will you not be, your parents will continue nagging and yelling at you.

If you think you cannot be a good Christian or a living testimony in the world, not only will you not be, everybody around you will persecute you even more.

If you think you cannot find close friends or a place/purpose in church, not only will you feel left out, you will find that everyone is too busy to hear you out.

Thus, God will NEVER think you can't!

And if you think you can be all of the above, things can change.

You can find a place in Heart of God Church.

You can be a great testimony of God.

You can be a great son or daughter.

You can be a great evangelist.

You can be a great leader.

You can be a great IC in your ministry.

You can be a great student.

Soon enough, people around you will think of you in all these ways.

Pastor How said that maturity comes with acceptance of responsibility.

If you want to be mature and take responsibility of your world, your life, your character...

You can start by taking responsibility of your thoughts...

... And God will change your reputation and your world.

This ability God has given you, use it back for God. :)