Hi Tabby and Calvin
As we head into the last quarter of this year, I dont think that anyone or any company out there wouldnt want to finish strong in 2009.
To finish strong is more than a statement, it is an attitude. It is an attitude of believing that you can do something and you gonna need courage and determination to see it through.
For Calvin, it would be fighting to stay positive in the Air Force despite the boring work and shifts that you are subjected to. The rules that you have to comply with.. which I think is not a bad idea :) since you break my house rules all the time! To survive as an adult in society, one needs to know how to work, how to get there on time, how to get along with jerks and superiors, how to stay with a task until it's completed, and yes, how to submit to authority!
1Cor 9:24-27 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only 1 gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
Winning the race requires self-discipline. Discipline in your life is doing things you dont like to do. You glorify God when you exercise discipline coz you say no to laziness.
Tabby, God has answered our Jabez Prayer (1Chron 4:10) for you. He has blessed you richly with lots of exposures/experiences overseas by extending your territory. His hand was with you, & He has kept you from harm and pain. Your work experience in Shanghai and now, your exchange in Canada have given you exposure to different cultures and people. For this last quarter, you have to be determined to get adequate sleep no matter what so that you can concentrate on your studies and finish well. It is not a problem for you since you already believe in excellence.
Phil 3:12-14 "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
With the single-mindedness of an athlete in training, you must lay aside everything harmful and distracting that may affect your health and your purpose in Canada.
Vince Lombardi said, "The will to win.. the will to achieve.. goes dry without continuous reinforcement."
In a perfect world, we hear something once, store it in our brain and never need to hear it again. Well, my world is far from being perfect. I constantly need to reinforce, encourage and motivate myself to keep moving forward towards my personal goals, family goals, ministry and work goals.
These verses in Psalm 18:32-36 encourage me.
"It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
He enables me to stand on the heights.
He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You (God) give me your shield of victory and your right hand sustains me;
You stoop down to make me great.
You broaden the path beneath me so that my ankles do not turn.
Blessing U
Mum
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Food Therapy
Recently, Peter & I attended a posh wedding at one of the downtown prestigious hotels. For Peter, it was a time of get-together with old ex-colleagues. Our table and adjacent to ours were tables filled with bankers from different banks. Many of us are in our late forties, fifties and one or two in their early sixties so naturally our conversation centred on our children.
One lady banker in her late fifties told us her only son is already thirty years old. Peter asked if he's married. Her face tightened as she replied, "Pleasssse.. this generation, you dont talk to them about marriage, they decide, not you." Another banker feels her eldest son who, by the way, is a genius, is studying in Oxford for his doctorate, previously from Harvard, should be working in Spore instead of pursuing his studies overseas. There are many other stories as well.
Beneath that black suit and evening dress/gown, every family has a struggle or two with their children. The bankers are extremely successful in their careers and wealthy, yet status and wealth cannot guarantee their homes will have a sense of togetherness.
One lady, however, felt that the only way to bring the family together is to have family dinners. I totally agree with her. One way to pull family members together is to create traditions in your home. By traditions, I'm referring to those recurring events and behaviours that are anticipated, especially by children, as times of closeness and fellowship between loved ones.
Food should bring about laughter and warm family interaction. That's why, I feel that our Chinese tradition of having reunion dinner is great. On the 1st day of Chinese New Year, I cook to have my own brother & his family over for dinner. On that same day, my family and I gather at my 'Kuma's (my father-in-law's eldest sis) house for lunch where we have about 30 family members gather for reunion amongst cousins n siblings. A time to catch up and a time to joke and laugh while we feast on real Cantonese food.
Of course there are many other traditions, one of them is Thanksgiving dinner where families gather round to remember God's blessings on their lives during that year. There's the fun Christmas dinner that we have with our spiritual family and their children/teenagers. It can be quite chaotic with the children running around (noise is better than 'deadness', trust me!) and we do sometimes single out couples to do a dance or two or perform some other funny antics.
The great value of traditions is that they give a family a sense of identity and belonging. All of us desperately need to feel that we've not just part of a busy cluster of people living together in a house or church but we're a living, breathing family that's conscious of our uniqueness, our character and our heritage from GOd. That feeling is the only antidote for the loneliness and isolation that characterize so many homes today.
Tabby, you have to learn how to cook well and I'm glad you are now forced to cook in Canada without me around..haha. Food helps to keep family closeness and intimacy for many years to come, even friends for that matter. Food need not be too elaborate. As long as it is palatable, it's enough. If you can learn how to cook exotic food, then it'll add to the fun. Calvin, if your future wife (that'll be a long time to come) cant cook, pls send her for cooking classes.
God has given our family Psalms 112 but I'll just type the 1st few verses. This is the advantage of having faith in GOd :
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord
Who finds great delight in his commands.
His children will be mighty in the land
Th generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in his house
And his righteousness endures forever.
One lady banker in her late fifties told us her only son is already thirty years old. Peter asked if he's married. Her face tightened as she replied, "Pleasssse.. this generation, you dont talk to them about marriage, they decide, not you." Another banker feels her eldest son who, by the way, is a genius, is studying in Oxford for his doctorate, previously from Harvard, should be working in Spore instead of pursuing his studies overseas. There are many other stories as well.
Beneath that black suit and evening dress/gown, every family has a struggle or two with their children. The bankers are extremely successful in their careers and wealthy, yet status and wealth cannot guarantee their homes will have a sense of togetherness.
One lady, however, felt that the only way to bring the family together is to have family dinners. I totally agree with her. One way to pull family members together is to create traditions in your home. By traditions, I'm referring to those recurring events and behaviours that are anticipated, especially by children, as times of closeness and fellowship between loved ones.
Food should bring about laughter and warm family interaction. That's why, I feel that our Chinese tradition of having reunion dinner is great. On the 1st day of Chinese New Year, I cook to have my own brother & his family over for dinner. On that same day, my family and I gather at my 'Kuma's (my father-in-law's eldest sis) house for lunch where we have about 30 family members gather for reunion amongst cousins n siblings. A time to catch up and a time to joke and laugh while we feast on real Cantonese food.
Of course there are many other traditions, one of them is Thanksgiving dinner where families gather round to remember God's blessings on their lives during that year. There's the fun Christmas dinner that we have with our spiritual family and their children/teenagers. It can be quite chaotic with the children running around (noise is better than 'deadness', trust me!) and we do sometimes single out couples to do a dance or two or perform some other funny antics.
The great value of traditions is that they give a family a sense of identity and belonging. All of us desperately need to feel that we've not just part of a busy cluster of people living together in a house or church but we're a living, breathing family that's conscious of our uniqueness, our character and our heritage from GOd. That feeling is the only antidote for the loneliness and isolation that characterize so many homes today.
Tabby, you have to learn how to cook well and I'm glad you are now forced to cook in Canada without me around..haha. Food helps to keep family closeness and intimacy for many years to come, even friends for that matter. Food need not be too elaborate. As long as it is palatable, it's enough. If you can learn how to cook exotic food, then it'll add to the fun. Calvin, if your future wife (that'll be a long time to come) cant cook, pls send her for cooking classes.
God has given our family Psalms 112 but I'll just type the 1st few verses. This is the advantage of having faith in GOd :
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord
Who finds great delight in his commands.
His children will be mighty in the land
Th generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in his house
And his righteousness endures forever.
Cheers :)
Thursday, September 17, 2009
From Overflowing to Overflowing ...
I'm sharing my QT today from Luke 7:36-50
Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house & reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, & as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them & pour perfume on them. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him & what kind of woman she is - that she is a sinner.
Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."
"Tell me, teacher," he said.
"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he cancelled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"
Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt cancelled."
"You have judged correctly," Jesus said.
Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven-for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."
Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."
The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"
Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you, go in peace."
There are a few lessons I learnt today from this passage.
1) The woman, a prostitute, showed deep humiliation for her sins through her weeping. Although she was not an invited guest, she was determined to go to Jesus, & what's more with an expensive alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume which she was willing to pour on Jesus' feet.
Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house & reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, & as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them & pour perfume on them. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him & what kind of woman she is - that she is a sinner.
Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."
"Tell me, teacher," he said.
"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he cancelled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"
Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt cancelled."
"You have judged correctly," Jesus said.
Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven-for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."
Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."
The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"
Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you, go in peace."
There are a few lessons I learnt today from this passage.
1) The woman, a prostitute, showed deep humiliation for her sins through her weeping. Although she was not an invited guest, she was determined to go to Jesus, & what's more with an expensive alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume which she was willing to pour on Jesus' feet.
2) Simon neglected to wash Jesus' feet, a social courtesy which was extended to guests because sandaled feet could get very dirty after being on the road. He did not anoint Jesus' head with oil & offer him the greeting kiss. Did Simon perhaps think he was too good for Jesus? Apparently, Simon despised the woman because he felt that Jesus should not allow a sinful woman to touch him - wash his feet.
In this story, it is the grateful prostitute and not the religious leader, whose sins were forgiven. This woman demonstrated her true faith in Jesus and Jesus honoured her. Only those who realise the depth of their sin can appreciate the complete forgiveness that GOd offers them. The woman here is seen as the 'greater' debtor and Simon, the 'lesser' debtor.
I ask myself - do I see myself as the prostitute or as Simon? I would think Simon, as I live a conventionally good life and that's the reason why I could not love as much in my earlier years as a Christian because I'm forgiven 'little'.
This command in Mark 12: 30 - 'love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength' makes sense coz out of the overflowing love of God into my heart will I then be able to accept and love myself. When that happens, then I can fulfill the 2nd commandment which is FCBC's theme of the year - vs 31 - 'Love your neighbour as yourself.' Out of that overflowing love received from God in my heart, will I be able to extend an overflowing forgiveness to others who offend or wrong me. A heart filled with God's love will be able to love others unconditionally.
It is true, I told a friend 2 wks ago, whose husband abuses her, that he cannot love her because he doesnt love himself. The judgmental attitude inflicted upon the husband by his own father resulted in the husband's self condemnation and self rejection.
Jesus rescues everyone who believes in Him, whether you were once extremely sinful or generally good, from eternal death. We ought to appreciate the width of God's mercy.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Ohhhh.... That Unbridled Tongue!
Howdie children !
It has been a while since my last blog. Had been busy but was thinking of what to write when the Lord impressed upon me more than a week ago that I should write about what we utter with our tongue.
Last night, I read an article entitled "How To Destroy a Relationship In An Instant". It was like as though God was telling me, "Hey, don't forget to write what I've told you!"
The writer talks about a 'tongue twister' that can wipe out a relationship in seconds, destroy the peace in a household or tear down a bridge of trust that took years to construct. We ought to be careful with the choice of words and we need God to help us to discipline our tongues to speak only those things that are edifying, gracious and truthful. In other words, the writer is saying we ought to keep 'a rein on' or 'reign over' the tongue. The bible declares in James 3:8 that "the human tongue can be tamed by no man. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
However, what I want to talk about is slightly different.
Using Mark 11:23 "... that whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." FAITH is words released through your mouth. You can either talk yourself into failure or talk yourself into success. Few christians realise this important fact... that our words DOMINATE us. We can either rise to that place of our confession or we go down to the level of our faith!
The moment you talk negative, you will be whipped. Why? Because God sets certain laws into motion in the spiritual realm for everyone, like the law of gravity.
Proverbs 6:2 says " you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth." You are imprisoned by your own words. So children, never talk failure, defeat, never admit God cannot put you over coz God C-A-N put you over.
Learn to use words that will work for you. Your words, when filled with faith, will put you over, or your words when spoken negatively, can make you a captive.
Have you been around people who speak doubt, unbelief and failure? When you leave their presence, it's like a blanket of depression that covers you.
Find scriptures to cover your case when you pray. Feed your faith daily with the Word of GOd. Then exercise it - use it. Then your spirit will be filled with confidence and optimism.
Proverbs 21: 23 - He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.
With much Love,
Mum
It has been a while since my last blog. Had been busy but was thinking of what to write when the Lord impressed upon me more than a week ago that I should write about what we utter with our tongue.
Last night, I read an article entitled "How To Destroy a Relationship In An Instant". It was like as though God was telling me, "Hey, don't forget to write what I've told you!"
The writer talks about a 'tongue twister' that can wipe out a relationship in seconds, destroy the peace in a household or tear down a bridge of trust that took years to construct. We ought to be careful with the choice of words and we need God to help us to discipline our tongues to speak only those things that are edifying, gracious and truthful. In other words, the writer is saying we ought to keep 'a rein on' or 'reign over' the tongue. The bible declares in James 3:8 that "the human tongue can be tamed by no man. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
However, what I want to talk about is slightly different.
Using Mark 11:23 "... that whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." FAITH is words released through your mouth. You can either talk yourself into failure or talk yourself into success. Few christians realise this important fact... that our words DOMINATE us. We can either rise to that place of our confession or we go down to the level of our faith!
The moment you talk negative, you will be whipped. Why? Because God sets certain laws into motion in the spiritual realm for everyone, like the law of gravity.
Proverbs 6:2 says " you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth." You are imprisoned by your own words. So children, never talk failure, defeat, never admit God cannot put you over coz God C-A-N put you over.
Learn to use words that will work for you. Your words, when filled with faith, will put you over, or your words when spoken negatively, can make you a captive.
Have you been around people who speak doubt, unbelief and failure? When you leave their presence, it's like a blanket of depression that covers you.
Find scriptures to cover your case when you pray. Feed your faith daily with the Word of GOd. Then exercise it - use it. Then your spirit will be filled with confidence and optimism.
Proverbs 21: 23 - He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.
With much Love,
Mum
Friday, September 4, 2009
Choose To Give Him 1st Place
Matthew 6 : 33-34
Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these
things will be given to you as well.
Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will
worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these
things will be given to you as well.
Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will
worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Imprisonment
Have you ever tried to forgive someone.. and found that you simply cant do it? You may have cried about it, prayed about it and asked God to help you, but those old resentment feelings just don't seem to go away.
The only way to overcome unforgiveness is to base your forgiveness on faith in God rather than feelings. True forgiveness does not have anything at all to do with how you feel. It is an ACT OF THE WILL.
That means once you have forgiven the person, you need to consider them permanently forgiven! When old feelings rise up within you and satan tries to convince you that you have not really forgiven them, resist him. Say, "I have already forgiven that person by faith and I refuse to dwell on those old feelings."
In 1 John 1:9 it says "If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
Then acc to the above vs, believe that you receive forgiveness and cleansing from the sin of unforgiveness and unrighteousness associated with it - including any remembrance of having been wronged.
Looking at my mother-in-law now, frail and vulnerable as she is, I'm glad I had forgiven her years ago for her hypocritical treatment towards me. I realised later she held that attitude towards all her daughters-in-law. Unfortunately, she was also dealing with feelings of self rejection, unforgiveness and fear in her own marriage. As I choose to forgive, the anger associated with unforgiveness disappears.
Is there someone whom you need to forgive? Perhaps a close family member or a friend's betrayal? Someone whom you trusted had sold you out? A boy/girl relationship that had gone sour?
Peter and I will be meeting up with a couple whose 3-year marriage has gone awry. The husband cannot forgive his wife for double dating during their courtship. Although that happened 4 years ago, in his heart he could not forgive her. This year, he finally walked out because he could not carry the burden of unforgiveness any longer. The real victim is the wife who believed that the man who married her loved her. It was selfish love, a love that keeps records of wrongs!
The only way to overcome unforgiveness is to base your forgiveness on faith in God rather than feelings. True forgiveness does not have anything at all to do with how you feel. It is an ACT OF THE WILL.
That means once you have forgiven the person, you need to consider them permanently forgiven! When old feelings rise up within you and satan tries to convince you that you have not really forgiven them, resist him. Say, "I have already forgiven that person by faith and I refuse to dwell on those old feelings."
In 1 John 1:9 it says "If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
Then acc to the above vs, believe that you receive forgiveness and cleansing from the sin of unforgiveness and unrighteousness associated with it - including any remembrance of having been wronged.
Looking at my mother-in-law now, frail and vulnerable as she is, I'm glad I had forgiven her years ago for her hypocritical treatment towards me. I realised later she held that attitude towards all her daughters-in-law. Unfortunately, she was also dealing with feelings of self rejection, unforgiveness and fear in her own marriage. As I choose to forgive, the anger associated with unforgiveness disappears.
Is there someone whom you need to forgive? Perhaps a close family member or a friend's betrayal? Someone whom you trusted had sold you out? A boy/girl relationship that had gone sour?
Peter and I will be meeting up with a couple whose 3-year marriage has gone awry. The husband cannot forgive his wife for double dating during their courtship. Although that happened 4 years ago, in his heart he could not forgive her. This year, he finally walked out because he could not carry the burden of unforgiveness any longer. The real victim is the wife who believed that the man who married her loved her. It was selfish love, a love that keeps records of wrongs!
The choice to forgive is a deliberate and purposeful act. It takes everyone off the hook. It could set you free from years of imprisonment. Also, releasing those who have wronged us is fundamental to receiving from God.
Mark 11:24-25 " ... whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
The Discerning of Spirits
Dearest children,
The Discerning of Spirits is a necessary gift to understand. It has no relationship to that which is natural. It is not thought reading; it has nothing to do with the realm of the mind. Most people think it is the discerning of humans, more like running another person down, judging them and finding fault, but it's not.
The discerning of spirits is the divine ability to see the presence and activity of a spirit that motivates a human being, whether good or bad. This gift of revelation comes through a christian through the functioning of the Holy Spirit. It gives insight into the spirit world for a born again christian, a realm which our five physical senses cannot enter - feeling, hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting. It enables you to not only discern God presence, the Holy Spirit's work in a christian, angels but also satan and his cohorts.
A number of years ago, during the 7th month (like now), your dad was invited by a persistent client to a 7th month dinner celebration - 3 times. 3 times your dad politely refused the invitation as we are instructed by the Word of God not to enter into places where God clearly forbids. After the 3rd time, your dad felt bad and he told me that he was going to oblige his client even though I felt strongly in my spirit that it was not good to go. He was very confident that he will be protected by the blood of Jesus. He was.
But that night, he unwittingly brought back with him 2 spirits from the 7th month celebration. I saw them in a vision only when I lay down to sleep with the lights switched off. One was the spirit of an old woman holding the hand of a young boy dressed in the traditional dead man's clothing, suspended from the ceiling looking down at me. I freaked out and immediately command them to leave in the name of Jesus and cast them out of our house. It was the operation of the gift of the discerning of spirits in the spiritual realm. By this insight, I could discern evil spirits.
The discerning of spirits can enable me to 'see' what's happening to another person, eg, the spirit of depression or the spirit of rage or bitterness which is not manifested for anyone to see. Beyond that, I would not know what had caused those emotions. However, I know that only God can enable me, as and when, He wants to do it, through the Holy Spirit. I cannot switch on a button and say that I want to know. However, this gift of discerning of spirits comes with a responsibility to usually keep the information to yourself unless God wants it to be revealed. If you go spouting around everytime there is a revelation, God will take it away from you.
I can see that both of you do have this gift but it's at its infancy stage. This discerning of spirits can bring tremendous inspiration to a church body. It can produce a real spirit of security against false doctrines, lies and all kinds of things that are unreal.
To discern spirits, we must dwell with Him who is holy, and He will give the revelation and unveil the mask of satanic influence in a person's life or satanic power in a situation.
1 Corinthians 12:7-11
"Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Holy Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits... All these are the work of one and the same Holy Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he DETERMINES."
Got that?
Mum
The Discerning of Spirits is a necessary gift to understand. It has no relationship to that which is natural. It is not thought reading; it has nothing to do with the realm of the mind. Most people think it is the discerning of humans, more like running another person down, judging them and finding fault, but it's not.
The discerning of spirits is the divine ability to see the presence and activity of a spirit that motivates a human being, whether good or bad. This gift of revelation comes through a christian through the functioning of the Holy Spirit. It gives insight into the spirit world for a born again christian, a realm which our five physical senses cannot enter - feeling, hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting. It enables you to not only discern God presence, the Holy Spirit's work in a christian, angels but also satan and his cohorts.
A number of years ago, during the 7th month (like now), your dad was invited by a persistent client to a 7th month dinner celebration - 3 times. 3 times your dad politely refused the invitation as we are instructed by the Word of God not to enter into places where God clearly forbids. After the 3rd time, your dad felt bad and he told me that he was going to oblige his client even though I felt strongly in my spirit that it was not good to go. He was very confident that he will be protected by the blood of Jesus. He was.
But that night, he unwittingly brought back with him 2 spirits from the 7th month celebration. I saw them in a vision only when I lay down to sleep with the lights switched off. One was the spirit of an old woman holding the hand of a young boy dressed in the traditional dead man's clothing, suspended from the ceiling looking down at me. I freaked out and immediately command them to leave in the name of Jesus and cast them out of our house. It was the operation of the gift of the discerning of spirits in the spiritual realm. By this insight, I could discern evil spirits.
The discerning of spirits can enable me to 'see' what's happening to another person, eg, the spirit of depression or the spirit of rage or bitterness which is not manifested for anyone to see. Beyond that, I would not know what had caused those emotions. However, I know that only God can enable me, as and when, He wants to do it, through the Holy Spirit. I cannot switch on a button and say that I want to know. However, this gift of discerning of spirits comes with a responsibility to usually keep the information to yourself unless God wants it to be revealed. If you go spouting around everytime there is a revelation, God will take it away from you.
I can see that both of you do have this gift but it's at its infancy stage. This discerning of spirits can bring tremendous inspiration to a church body. It can produce a real spirit of security against false doctrines, lies and all kinds of things that are unreal.
To discern spirits, we must dwell with Him who is holy, and He will give the revelation and unveil the mask of satanic influence in a person's life or satanic power in a situation.
1 Corinthians 12:7-11
"Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Holy Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits... All these are the work of one and the same Holy Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he DETERMINES."
Got that?
Mum
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