This word is submitted by Kenneth Phua (kcphua@pacific.net.sg)

Man's Responsibilities
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But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel. And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams. (Acts 2:16-17)

The Spirit of the Lord in these last days will be poured out on all flesh. Both the young and the old will the Spirit be poured out upon, both man and woman. As much as this outpouring is an initiative that comes from God and man has no part in determining this outpouring but are only recipients of the Father's blessing, God wants His people to respond to His outpouring. The Father wants His children to step out of the "familiar" as He pour out His Spirit upon them. He wants His children to step out of the zone where they had been comfortable. He wants to stretch the pegs of our tents, He wants to enlarge our tents that we may gather many more into His Kingdom, into His love.

The unfamiliar, the stretching process that God is bringing us through may come against the very paradigm of our thought patterns, we may not recognize that it is the Lord's work just as how Mary didn't recognize the Lord after the resurrection, supposing He was a gardener. But My sheep hears my voice, so even when things seems different from the natural eyes, the Spirit of God will speak to our hearts giving us wisdom.

Kenneth Phua