SOULFOOD
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THE 2015 TURN-AROUND ♥

'Brooklyn' by Kevin Moraczewski.

Cindy Jacobs' Message for 2015


Whatever the body of the enemy has planned, we are meant to be the light in shining armor. We are created in God's image, created and destined to spread joy and divine goodness.
2015 is the turn-around year of the midnight hour, declares the Lord.

This is the season where things may look very dark but you must be excited because we will see the greatest breakthroughs and miracles in our lives. It is very important that we actively listen to the Word of the Lord and be active doers, not simply hearers.

  • 2015 is the year to calibrate in the midst of what Satan's doing. Calibrate = amend, transform, change, turn-around.
Time to reflect and redirect our lifestyle. Ask God to direct your paths and give you new words of wisdom. His words enable us supernatural guidance to make divine choices when we are incapable to do anything.
    There are some things that we are afraid to confront. But the Holy Spirit is saying you may have to create a whirlwind. We have to gather the courage and make active notions for our future. Success is not for the lazy. In the midst of the whirlwind, God is turning you around.
    • Job 38:1 | There are many things from the wrong alignment into the right alignment through shaking. Things will happen when we have great spiritual courage.
    • Hezekiah was announced he was going to die. Yet he mustered up courage, turned his face to the wall & God granted him 15 years. He had a turn-around year in the face of man's condemnation being a "false prophet".

    God is calling us to a place or moment of rest, a Sabbath. 

    Some of us may think this is absurd. In such a time where so many things can preoccupy and overcrowd our minds, our focus gets so taken away, so misaligned and strayed apart from where God truly wants to lead us. In the midst of our busyness, we become insensitive to God's voice, the Spirit's guidance which is spoken through the gentle Word and those around us. We become heavily preoccupied with the present and losing sight of the future, of our real identity. Personally, I have encountered various moments where my shortsightedness in the present failed me in many great goals I want to fulfill.

    So what has this rest got to do with me? 

    Rest is a time of reflection, of spiritual recharge & fulfillment and of revelation. When we exhaust ourselves in doing trivial things of life, e.g. maintaining a steady "routine", work, play, family life, we tend to lose sight of the bigger picture. A successful person knows how to balance leadership & management. Doing things on a daily basis and ensuring that our life, financial and family are all steady and well-looked after are management processes, but leadership is all about knowing where we are going; the critical difference between an ordinary achiever and a successful overcomer is the quality and scope of their vision. Yet leadership in God's books is solely driven by faith, prayer & action in-accordance to His Word. It's about being sensitive, discerning and aware to His voice in times of rest. 

    If we never take any rest, or walk in full assurance that God does not give us a moment of rest, we become over-exhausted and poor. Poverty is a dead structure that God's going to turn around this year so that we may live abundantly under His grace and provision. Start believing that God has cleared away poverty in your life and start declaring by faith that He's going to bless you abundantly to fulfill His great visions this year.

    According to the Hebrew calendar, 2015 (5775th year) is the 7th of the 7th agricultural cycle. The land's resting time. If we break God's laws in the Bible, our physical laws break down. 

    Avoid distractions that will stray your vision from the central things God wants you to do. 

    Worship is the key to healing. 

    Worship is a lifestyle oriented to serve God in all of our ways, and that includes our mouth and the words we speak to others and ourselves. Our life situations may not be the best but it's time to build a strong habit and resolution to declare peace and goodness over our lives. Regardless of our present circumstances, our words must reflect the Words of God - what we believe in faith. Our mouth speaks out of the abundance of our heart. If we always dwell on our failures, bitterness, sunkenness, or the miserable things in our life, then we will never be able to experience God's blessings and breakthroughs in their lives! Instead, it's time to turn-around and declare God's goodness in our lives!

    God does not want you to stay in the old season. We will exert force and be violent, wrench ourselves away from the strongholds by faith.

    The Devil is a father of lies. Just as a lie that we are going to get hurt won't inflict any sudden physical harm, our lives will be unaffected and bulletproof from the Devil's schemes if we choose to believe and stay in God's good and righteous path. However, even though we are God's children, that status alone is not enough to stop us from falling and believing in the Devil's lies. Our miserable circumstances, poverty or hopelessness all stem-off from being planted in the wrong soil, receiving the wrong nutrients and encouragements from the Devil. If we expose our ears to his lies and verbally affirm these deceptions into prophetic declarations through our mouth, then our lives will be transformed according to the deceptive lies and threats fed by the Devil. If we choose to dwell in negativity, then our lives will be negative. We reap what we sow. 

    The concept of rest is also illustrated in Esther's fast. Sometimes, our lives may create endless whirlwinds that trap us and suck our small minds into spirals and spirals that make us confused. In times of these, declare a fast! Be aware that we are dangerously close to being misguided. Be aware that we are powerless without God's intervention in overcoming life's whirlwinds. Be aware that a fast, or a time of rest rooted in God is more than enough to deliver us from the hands of the Devil. When Esther fasted, the Devil's plans bounced back like a boomerang on him. Esther received revelation, strength and fulfillment from the Lord with a devoted heart and determined action of surrender. 

    Surrendering, humbling ourselves and putting ourselves second elevate us into a position of leadership. Moments where we may look weak to the world show that we are strong in God. He is going to renew us and restore our broken hearts according to His perfect image He carved in each of our lives!

    I have a serious weakness in this. Just a few days back, me and my parents had a small argument. They told me how sometimes I am too proud. Some of these reasons are my level of education, my experiences, my personal development or networks I've built overtime personally and professionally. Although it came as a direct hit, it was an eye-opener. Sometimes, God's abundant blessings in our lives may make us proud, make us too overconfident in our own strength. We started to take His blessings for granted and lose sight of the true goal assigned to us during our first divine encounter. The Devil dwells in our pride to steer us away from God's righteous path. It may look like we are walking on comfortable, secure ground when we rely on our own strength but as Cindy said - when we defy God's laws in the Bible, our physical laws break down. It may look safe and secure now to walk in our own strength, but what lies ahead can never bring true fulfillment, joy and satisfaction as when we walked with God. It only leads us to more pride, more desperation, insecurity, fear and anxiety over what's to come; and a greater reliance on our small bodies and minds to rise-up and overcome life's great giants with our meek and small power. Now I ask, what can bring us back to God's gracious path? Seek Him truthfully and genuinely with an honest heart willing to be disciplined, molded and transformed...and sometimes, that includes tough crazy prayers such as "God, please break down the foundations of my pride so that I can follow you again like your needy daughter". Sometimes it takes enormous courage to put-down our possessions, drop everything and simply follow Him by faith. 

    God promises divine breakthroughs. He is raising up new leaders, new evangelists from some of the world's most unexpected people and most unheard regions.

    Nothing is impossible for our Lord. Our situation may look stagnant, ordinary or in shambles but those who walk by faith in His word will not perish but attain eternal life. If we make John 3:16 our life motto, what miracles and breakthroughs will it bring to our lives! How does it feel to be pure conquerors of light in the things we do, simply because we offer up everything in our hands to the Lord. How satisfying would it be to see anything that we plan to flourish and prosper because we surrender all expectations and fully let God work His way in our talents, skills and professions. 

    2015 is a time of surrender just as much as it is a time of transformation. I guess this is a constant reminder for us to recheck and evaluate our lives, and ensure that everything we do is oriented for God's glory ♥

    Lots of love,

    Catherine ☺

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    ♠ CAN GOD TRUST ME? ♠

    Image courtesy via Jake Olson Studios.

    Can God Trust Me in Exercising and Prospering His Blessings to Win Others and Glorify Him?


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    GROWING IN THE SPIRIT.

    "Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace." (1 Peter 4:8-10)

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    ♣ JESUS, MY FIRST LOVE ♣

    "We love Him because He first loved us." (1 John 4:19)

    Some of you may know that I went to a winter retreat a few days back in Rutherford Park Country Retreat. It was such an abundantly blessed 3-day period I got to spend with a hundred other brothers and sisters who are so passionate for Christ. We had multiple sessions throughout the day, multiple encounters with the Holy Spirit and strong team-building games that just united us stronger and better. I love how all of us really did not waste these three days but focused our entire attention to pursue Him deeper and closer, refueling and refreshing our hearts with a new surge of the Holy Spirit. Three days flew past way too quickly but I believe they left behind irreplaceable moments in my heart that prepared me for the rocky road ahead.
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    STEPPING UP TO A NEW SEASON.

    "We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life...therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Him, the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death."

    On the 15th June 2014, I dedicated my life to be baptized as a member of Christ's body. It was a long journey leading up to the baptism day. There was an ongoing battle of hesitation in my head long before I decided to pick up a pen and filled out a blue baptism form. Lessons learnt? Definitely no reasoning, arguing or compromising with God. If you believe in Him, He will take you places, and there is nothing, absolutely nothing you can do to stop Him from fulfilling His promises in your life once you it to the amazing Father. 

    "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old one has gone, the new one has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. Be reconciled to God. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:15-21)

    Baptism does not guarantee that we will be saved. Baptism is not our sole trademark in entering heaven. One of the criminals crucified by Jesus's side never accepted Christ in their entire lifetime, let alone baptized but Jesus said "I tell you the truth, today you will be with Me in paradise." Whilst we are busy interpreting what other people's words are, God is busy with checking into the state of our hearts. It is not his proof of baptism that saved the criminal. It was his faith, the belief in seeing things physically unseen and unrealized, that was open for wisdom and understanding. The man knew Jesus was faultless but was crucified for everyone's sins. Although it did not explicitly say in the Bible, the man was able to see how disgraceful he is compared to Jesus and was awestruck as to why the man was even there. If crucifixion is still a legally approved process, no one would have said what the criminal said simply out of pure awe. The man acknowledged his sins and accepted his just punishment but when he looks to Jesus, he sees someone who took on people's punishments to save them. If it weren't for God to reveal these things due to his subservient heart, then what else could explain it? Secondly, he said "Jesus, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom." It is unclear whether the man has already heard of Jesus's ministry beforehand but at that time, he faithfully believed that (1) Jesus was not a normal rabbi/teacher who manifests miracles out of air but that (2) Jesus was a King to a rightful throne and (3) Jesus's work on the cross was not a simple sacrifice - it is an act of atonement leading to the saving of many. He did not ask for much. He simply asked Jesus to remember him. He did not challenge Jesus to prove His powers like the other criminal who was crucified at the same time. He stated all these in public due to divine revelations that were given on a subservient faith of zero hesitation and doubt. Same thing goes with following God. The moment we hesitate and doubt Him, the moment we start to fall from grace just as Peter had done when he walked on water. 

    I believe God is calling me onto a new season of renewal and fulfillment of His promises in my life. He is transforming me into a stable rock, a cooperative, humble servant for His mighty works, a nourished member of His body for the church. Through my baptism, I made a public declaration of my inner commitment to follow God as His disciple. Highly flawed, but He sees the beauty within me as He is my creator. Riddled with sin, but He lavished me with love and forgiveness, taking on the dirt of my life and redressed me with a new robe of righteousness. Filled with insecurities and worry, but He reassured me and empowered me with wisdom and discernment. Stranded without a shepherd, He anointed me with the Holy Spirit. To some and the me back then, these all seemed so abstract. "I need a physical proof for my eyes to see it God! Everything in the Bible is...so, uh well Biblical and spiritual. Can't you realize and manifest some of your promises before me God?" These questions recurred to me again and again, and trust me, I am still battling them on today. [Just a side note, it is perfectly normal if you ever felt this way] We are created to be more convinced of things when our eyes see it materialistically. It's natural. What defines us as God's disciples is our constant engagement to deepen our knowledge and love within our Father, not caving into unbelief or be torn apart from God due to our desire to see a physical manifestation. I learnt that if we truly paid attention to the good works of Christ in our lives, we will have more than plenty to thank for. Start counting down all of those blessings in your life, even from the smallest ones, such as oxygen, food, water and shelter. If we can still attend church without being severely persecuted, or labelled as political fugitives/criminals, bless His name. If we aren't craving for the slightest trace of rice because we haven't eaten for a week, bless His name. If we still attend university or school and are able to read, write and communicate properly, bless His name. If we are healthy, or are victorious in triumphing over severe illnesses, bless His name. If we can still read the Bible and receive words of wisdom and encouragement, bless His name. Truthfully, God has showered us with so much goodness every single day of our lives. More often than not, it is our ignorance or insensitivity to His grace, mistaking them for things granted and well-deserved that put us in our highly unsatisfied states. When I deeply reflect what God has done in my family recently, I bless His name. No matter how stressful the moments we face, God always strengthens our unity by the end of the day. He dissipated our anger, frustrations or disappointments to some of life's major let-downs through simple moments during "dinner table" conversations. Jeremiah 29:11 is right. It is empowering and amen God, I can testify it in my life!

    I am a twenty-year old university student called out to fulfill His great vision in my community. I am a newborn spiritual baby as of last Sunday. I made my public declaration in front of Jesus and many believers and unlocked a prophetic doorway to greatness. But I am still an infant!

    "Therefore rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good." (1 Peter 2:1-3)

    I like the idea of going back to tasting milk as our only food. Yeah Paul. Very harsh indeed. But it's true. I am still growing and yes I will fall often. God has unlocked spiritual gifts within me fitting for His calling but it is my responsibility to use His blessings to grow and mature in Him. Would you like to be treated as an infant forever in your life? We may be physically well-aged, but it's quite funny and even sad to acknowledge ourselves as spiritual infants twenty or thirty years down the track. Well yes, Paul encouraged us to step on a new level NOW and grow. What does this level comprise of? Everyone is standing on different levels of growth, but mine personally is about learning His word even deeper, and striving to be more humble and patient. A humble, faithful servant is what Lord's eyes see and I want to be a pleasant servant before Him, starting from how I live and respect my own life.

    "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy Him; for God's temple is sacred and you are that temple...Don't let anyone look down on you because of your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity...Do not neglect your gift, which was given to you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you."

    I believe that the word "body" does not simply mean our physical vessels, but also our soul and spirit. Our attitudes, beliefs, morals, perceptions - God commands me to live out a life that is strong against sin and subservient to the Holy Spirit. Through my baptism, God is working on to grow the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and the only way I could do that is through a progressing, FORWARD and ACTIVE relationship with the Sovereign Lord. The Holy Spirit is always cleansing our conscience whenever we come and acknowledge His presence. Simple things you can do are starting off your mornings with praise and thanksgiving. I am musical so I want to devote to sing a new song and play a new melody every single day to the Lord. If you are a writer, write a new prose of gratification for Him. Remember God sees the heart and it is perfectly okay if laziness gets the best of you sometimes. Just as long as we repent and strive to get back on track, Holy Spirit readily kicks in again. Remember, God sees the heart. So what about you? Have you sensed God calling on a new season in your life? If you haven't, wait on it but not for too long. I believe Jesus never meant our lives to be idle as a disciple. There are still way too many people we need to bless and share the love of God with and idleness won't do away with it. There have been moments where I am feeling awfully stagnant in my Christian life and in the midst of my idleness, I even forgot of Jesus's great commission. I became content with comfortable and ambient days and started to lose the innate urge to seek Him in my quiet times. Laziness is a terrible choker when you let it be. But when we are active and discerning, it is a clear warning sign for us to take our journey to the next level and progress deeper in our walk with Christ. Just like the famous Proverbs 4:23.

    "Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life."

    I heavily apologize for the delayed posts these days. Exam week is finishing in five more days and I can't wait to blog to you all more often in the coming week ♥ Stay tuned lovely people. God bless xx

    Love,

    Catherine.

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