Jesus asks "What do you want Me to do for you?" (Mark 10:36,51). In two
separate occasions, people approached Jesus to ask of Him in Mark
10:35-52.
"... how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! (Matthew 7:11b NKJV).
Daddy
God longs to give good things to you; provisions, spiritual and
emotional wholeness, health. All we need do is ask of Him what will
please His heart to give, simply because He grants good gifts for us to
grow in His glory; according to how we ought to be in Him.
In
Mark 10, James and John asked to sit at the left and right of Jesus but
to which He replied that it is not for Him to grant but by the Father.
But in verse 46-52, a blind man comes to Jesus and was healed. Not only
by God but also by his own faith.
Ask the Father for what would
please His heart to give and exercise faith. It pleases Him to give you
good gifts. Keep asking because, God loves you.
"...
God is faithful... For the Son of God, Jesus Christ... was not "Yes"
and "No," but in him it has always been "Yes." For no matter how many
promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the
"Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 1:18-20 NIV).
Has the Lord given you a promise? As I read this morning, I
sensed from the Lord His reminder that nothing that the Lord spoken will
not come to pass i.e. what He says He will do He will do. So trust in
Him. If in Samuel, what the Lord spoke of Eli's house, who displeasured
Him, came to pass, let alone His good promises that He gives you. He
will bring it to pass. Hold on to His promises. The loving Father God
has good plans and promises for you and me.
Yep, we are all a symphony written from above, written out of God's love.
Each of us have notes to play; we need to stay in tune and also in unison with fellow instruments.
We will then be a wonderful symphony that brings hope, comfort and warmth.
And yes, the less I get in the way, thinking I know best, the more God can let the music play.
Be the best song you are meant to be...
YOUR SONG Music and Lyrics by Corrinne May, ‘Crooked Lines’ 2012
Silent, wordless Everything was still You breathed us, yearned for us Our hearts began to thrill A brand new creation A symphony Written from above Written out of Love
Chorus: Let me be Your instrument Let me be Your voice Let me be the reservoir Where thirsty hearts rejoice Let me be the hand That wipes the tears away Oh Lord, If it be Your will Let me be Your Song
A violin, a piano Each one has a role Major or minor Or just a single note So take the time to stay in tune Cause we’ll never know When we’re called to play It could be today
A song of hope for the hopeless A song of comfort for the pain A song that warms the frozen heart that It might beat again
For what am I but a single breath That only You sustain The less I get in the way, The more the Master can let the music play
Thanks for making the prayer and praise encounter yesterday wonderful with all your participation. As we sing the last song yesterday, "Who Am I", it does reminds us, in a timely manner, why we worship...
We worship because of who God is
We worship because of who we are
Therefore, we worship in spite of our circumstances because it is a declaration from our spirit of this very fact.
John 4:23-24 (NIV)
... the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.
Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt?
Who am I, that the bright and morning star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever wondering heart?
Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You are
I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
A vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I'm calling
Lord You catch me when I'm falling
And You told me who I am
I am Yours, I am Yours
Who am I, that the eyes that see our sin
Would look on me with love
And watch me rise again?
Who am I, that the voice that calmed the sea
Would call out through the rain
And calm the storm in me?
Whom shall I fear?
Whom shall I fear?
'Cause I am Yours, I am Yours
Once again, it is amazing to see how God worked yesterday once again! Take care!
All of us seek to discern the will of God in our lives because we believe He knows best. I have my fair share of waiting too and sometimes, it is to wait for open doors from the Lord, sometimes it is waiting while in God's calling for our calling to come to fruition, sometimes it's for things and/or us to take shape and sometimes it's for us to complete our God-given task despite how much we may want to bail out. But waiting on the Lord is something that all of us will be familiar with.
The topic of bearing fruit is of particular interest to me. I did a search through the bible on scripture verses with the words "bear fruit" and "fruitful" and it seems that God called us to be fruitful by:
being fruitful and multiply - This is a common theme in the Old Testament in which God told Abraham, Noah and various other people that His blessing will cause His people to multiply in number to inhabit the earth and to preserve the generations. This is seen throughout the Old Testament in Gen 1:22, 28; Gen 9:1,7; Gen 17:6; Gen 35:11; Gen 48:4; Jer 23:3; Ps 105:24; Ex 1:7; Ez 36:11. The main thing of being fruitful here is receiving God's blessings and multiplying in numbers.
being fruitful in self and God - As we go into the New Testament, the focus now is on being holy and righteous in our call to be God's children, bearing the fruit of the Spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:19-24). In fact, Luke 13:1-9, Rom 7:4-6 encourage us to bear fruit for God rather that bear fruit of death; a warning of of what will happen if we do not repent and continue in our lives of darkness. So being fruitful has to also mean to be holy and righteous, living as children of God.
being fruitful to bless - Perhaps God ultimately wants us to bear fruit to not only bless ourselves but also to bless other through us. Why? Because God has appointed us to bear fruit that will last (John 15: 16) and which will be for the Father's glory (John 15:8). And God longs for His children to return to Him.
Paul is very familiar with this as he mentioned in Philippians 1:22 that he was torn between going back to God and yet remaining in his body to have fruitful labour in the body; to bless others. Ultimately, God wants to make us fruitful so we can be a blessing to others and this one really spoke to me a lot a lot during this period.
Early on in Genesis, the Abrahamic Convenant spoke about being blessed and being a blessing.
Genesis 12:2-3 (NIV) 2 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."
As I struggle with my current job transition (transition out of something which is so comfortable and which is so working well for me), I kept bargaining with God that I am already impacting lives where I am. I further went on to justify that if I move, I am not sure if I am going to be effective for Him, given the new environment and new stresses to come in this new portfolio etc. But the real reason, I have come to realise is that I was so in my comfort zone. God dealt with me and made me realised how He has wanted to re-position me to bless others at a different playing field. Talking about revelation from God bringing about re-elevation.
As I did my QT, God first brought me to the story of Elijah in 1 King 17 and 18. I had previously shared in cell how Elijah is an interesting reminder because he has just popped up suddenly in the bible but every step of the way, he obeyed God and God positioned him from one level of faith to another. Firstly God provided for him as He sent the raverns to feed him and thereby helping Elijah know that God will provide for him and bless him. Then God brought him to the widow, another level of faith, and wanted to bless not only him but also the women and her son as he made it possible for the widow and her son to be fed through his instructions. Then, God brought him to yet another level of faith when the widow's son died and had Elijah working with God to restore the boy's life. Finally God brought him to the showdown with the prophets of Baal to bring people back to Him, as everyone realised that ""The LORD -he is God! The LORD -he is God!" (1 King 18:39). The Lord brought Elijah from one level of faith to another, blessing first himself then others through him.
In the same way, I felt the Lord reminding me how He wants to bring me to a different field to bless others and that my season here is just over. And yes, He will bless as He calls; to bear fruit. The further confirmation came when I was preparing for chapel from Luke 5:1-9 when God showed how obedience brought fruitfulness to both self and others. As Simon obeyed and casted the net (even though he felt it was strange and maybe useless), the result was a catch of fish not only enough for himself but also for the other fishermen. All these is possible just because Simon said "But because you say so, I will let down the nets." (Luke 5:5).
In our round up of the story of Joseph in sermon, we seen how God has worked in his life to make him fruitful (Gen 41:52, Gen 49:22).
As Raymond mentioned, we are all definitely called to serve God's purpose, though in different ways. And all of us have been blessed with at least one gifting and Paul edges us to desire and excel in gifts that will build up the church; blessing others.
At the end of the day, God wants us to be fruitful and to stay with the vine as we are reminded from John 15. But to bear fruit, we need, first and foremost, to remain in the vine (John 15: 4-5); we need to take root below and bear fruit above (2 King 19:30, Isaiah 37:31).
Jeremiah 17:8 (NIV)
8 He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit."
Psalm 92:13-14 (NIV)
13 planted in the house of the LORD,
they will flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They will still bear fruit in old age,
they will stay fresh and green,
Like Joyce mentioned, you can say we are all different trees bearing fruit at different seasons. It is important to be rooted well and bear the right fruit. Jesus reminded us in Matthew 7:17 that one can also bear bad fruit too. So stay rooted in God's word and plans, which are the soil and water and the tree will grow to eventually bear fruit. And He will keep pruning you for fruitfulness, not giving up on you (John 15:2).
In the end, God gave me John 15:7-8 as a reminder verse as I move to this new chapter; that I need to just choose to remain in Him in all circumstances and He will bless. At the end of the day, many will come to know the Lord through my ministry and work of my hands, not because of what I have done but because of what the Lord has shown Himself to be through me; that I am a disciple of God.
John 15:7-8 (NIV) 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
The Lord has blessed me these few weeks so hope it blesses you too.
I was doing my quiet time today and felt spoken to from 1 King 8 and thought of sharing what God has placed in my heart.
In 1 King 8, we read about King Solomon has completed building the temple for the Lord and is dedicating it. And we read in verses 10 and 11 that the temple begin to be filled with the glory of the Lord:
1 King 8:10-11 (NIV)
When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the LORD. And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled his temple.
Solomon proceeds to pray what would happen in the temple of God. As I read, I sensed God speaking to me about my life because we are the temple of God now that we have the Holy Spirit residing in us.
1 Corinthians 6:19 (NIV)
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
Therefore, let's see what happens to a life dedicated and consecrated to the Lord and reflect on where our lives are at this point in time.
Solomon prays that...
... there be the forgiveness of the Lord in the temple.
"Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place... and when you hear, forgive." (v30)
In the temple of God, there is forgiveness of sin. Similarly, in our lives, we started off with the acknowledgment of our sins as we come before God to accept Him into our lives as Lord and Saviour. But, what other sins do you currently have that you need to deal with in the Lord. Remember that in the temple of the Lord, there is forgiveness of sins.
... there be judging by the Lord in the temple.
"When a man wrongs his neighbour and is required to take an oath and he comes and swears the oath, before your altar in this temple... Judge between your servants, condemning the guilty... declare the innocent not guilty and so establish his innocence." (v31-32)
As the Lord's presence is in the temple and judges between people, He is also in our lives and watches over the choices we make and how we walk. And we will also have times where we may have been wronged but there is trust in the Lord that He will judge between the guilt and innocent and will eventually declare and establish our innocence. Sure there will be situations where you may have been wronged but will you trust in the Lord that He is the Judge and will vindicate you in His time?
... there be restoration by the Lord, as we repent.
"When your people Israel have been defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you, and when they turn back to you and confess your name, praying and making supplication to you in this temple, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to their fathers." (v33-34)
We know that as we come to the Lord, we will receive restoration in our lives to how God had intended it to be, restoration from hurts, pains, bitterness and a live lived apart from God and His blessings. Are there areas where you need restoration?
... there be teaching of His ways, as we repent.
"When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and confess your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance." (v35-36)
The Lord longs to teach us His ways and decrees so we can walk according to His ways and stay in His approval, blessings and favour. So, as we continue to have the glory of God in our lives, He will teach you, step by step, to grow in righteousness and to His likeness. Are you still keeping your hearts and minds open to the Lord's teaching, rebuking and correction?
... there be the fear of God.
"When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when an enemy besieges them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, and when a prayer or plea is made by any of your people Israel—each one aware of the afflictions of his own heart, and spreading out his hands toward this temple- then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with each man according to all he does, since you know his heart (for you alone know the hearts of all men), so that they will fear you all the time they live in the land you gave our fathers." (v37-40)
A life with God's presence will also have the fear of the Lord because of who God is; the Almighty God who sees the heart of man and can do all things. Personally for me, I have seen what God can do in my life, especially when I grief Him, and so the fear of the Lord keeps me trying to always walk righteously. The day we do not have the fear of the Lord is the day we no longer stay within the boundaries of the Lord and of His love, peace, favour and blessings and we are in the danger of taking God for granted.
Proverbs 16:6 (NIV)
Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the LORD a man avoids evil.
Proverbs 14:27 )NIV)
The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.
Proverbs 19:23 (NIV)
The fear of the LORD leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.
Do you have the fear of the Lord in your life?
... that God's name be glorified.
"As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name- for men will hear of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm—when he comes and prays toward this temple, then hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name." (v41-43)
When the glory of the Lord is in the temple and in our lives, God's name will also be glorified through it because of the great things that He will do in you and through you, you will be seen as bearing His name and people will come to hear and know of God.
Do you bear the glory of God in your lives that is a living testimony to others who have yet to know Him. A living testimony, likened a living bible, who will result in others wanting to know about God?
... that there be favour.
"When your people go to war against their enemies, wherever you send them, and when they pray to the LORD toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name, then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause" (v44-45)
When the temple of God is filled with the glory of God, there will be favour as we walk with the Lord and He upholds our cause.
Are you experience God's favour in your life?
... there be deliverance when we come in repentence.
"When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them and give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive to his own land, far away or near; and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their conquerors and say, 'We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly'; and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their fathers, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name; then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their conquerors to show them mercy; for they are your people and your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt, out of that iron-smelting furnace." (v46-51)
When our lives are filled with the glory of God, we will receive deliverance from bondages and things that we are caught in captivity by. Do you need something which you are captive of now that you need God to deliver you from? Just as God delivered the Israelite from Egypt? God indeed has the power to "bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners" (Isaiah 61:1), both Himself and through His servants doing His will in your life.
... there be the honour of being chosen by God.
"For you singled them out from all the nations of the world to be your own inheritance, just as you declared through your servant Moses when you, O Sovereign LORD, brought our fathers out of Egypt." (v53)
Ephesians 1:4-5 (NIV)
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will
God chose you and what a privilege it is to be called sons and daughters of the living and Almighty God. And we are reminded that "we were by nature objects of wrath" because of our sin but God in His love and grace and mercy, gave us His son so we can be made alive in Christ while we were dead in our sins (Ephesians 2:3). That's the wonders of accepting the work of Jesus on the cross and appropriating it to our lives. Do you believe in your position as a child of God in your life?
... there will be turning of peoples' hearts back to God.
"May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers; may he never leave us nor forsake us. May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep the commands, decrees and regulations he gave our fathers." (v57-58)
Often times, when we become restored and have experienced the love, grace and mercy of God and His work in our lives, we will naturally want to share this wonderful privilege with others who have yet to know and experience Him. And hearts will be turned to God through the work of our hands and the testimony of our mouths.
So, is your life filled with the glory of God...
... so much so there is forgiveness of your sins?
... so much so, there is trust in your life of God as the Ultimate Judge; that He knows everything that happens and is capable of vindicating you of wrong done to you?
... so much so there is restoration in our lives as we come to him in repentence?
... so much so we are receiving teaching from the Lord day after day as He continues to work in us?
... so much so we will have the fear of the Lord which will keep us within His boundaries, approval, blessings and favour?
... so much so God's name is glorified through us?
... so much so we experience God's favour in our lives?
... so much so we receive deliverance from things which keeps us captive?
... so much so we know and are affirmed of our position as children loved by God?
... so much so we see the turning of peoples' hearts back to God?
I know I am not there yet but yes, I pray that my life will be a wonderful temple, consecrated and dedicated to the Lord, filled with the glory of God.
Today is the Mission Drive weekend. I thought it is good to share about how I came to sponsor one of the Dalit Child some weeks ago on 13th March. Before the CE course on that day, I saw the Dalit Child booths and the pictures of the Dalit children. There is a prompting within my heart to go to the other side of the booths and to look at one of the pictures in the middle row. I saw a little boy, he looks quite different from other boys, seems pretty mature for boy of his age? There is something outstanding about him. Then I look at the description, he had a elder sister who had paralysis and most of their family's income is spent for her treatment, they do not have enough to eat and pay for. When I read this, somehow it gripped my heart. I felt a prompting that I could be God's vessel to bless this family and this little boy by sponsoring him so that through education support, the family would be able to break out of current situation of poverty trap, also recognizing how tough it is for the family taking care of a young girl who is immobile. However I see a bright future ahead of this little boy as God will provide and bless even though I believe the situation maybe tougher than I could ever imagine. Therefore I really hope this little contribution will bring a little light into this little boy's life and his family, and he will be empowered to rise up to the calling God had put into his heart. Also I pray that the little boy and his family will witness God's love through the most simple way of giving and acts of love, may they see God's miracles in their life, especially his sister that God will cause her to walk one day! That many will testify the goodness of God and power of God at work! I thank God that I obey God when I felt prompting to be part of the Dalit Child Sponsorship program, it is always a blessing to give. It is also my first time involving in this program, felt privileged to give even though I had other concerns too. But I am glad I choose to put God's will above all in my heart. I hope I can pray constantly for the Dalit Child I am sponsoring, looking forward to exchanging letters and writing to encourage and show love, even though I am not quite sure what to really write. Also look forward to visit the Dalit Child maybe next year 2011, by God's grace and his good timing. As I ponder and share about the process of sponsoring the Dalit Child, is there anything God is prompting and challenging you in the area of mission? Dear fellow brothers and sisters, I urge you to respond to the call God had put in your heart. A little step of obedience will not only bless the lives of the individuals you are touching but will also bring you one step closer to the heart of God. It is all about God.
Hi everyone, thanks for all your prayers for my slip disc. I am getting better by the day and it's amazing how from I was bed-ridden a few days ago, not being able to do anything, to being able to walk a little today. I am amazed at the progress made and even the peace that came upon me yesterday as cell came by. Couldn't have been recovering so well if not for all your prayers and well-wishes. Thanks again!
Video Sermon: Transformation in People
This is the 2nd sermon on this series and SP Vincent re-emphasized the importance of unity and not uniformity. Having a set of core values can be instrumental in keeping unity in the church as they influence the way we conduct ourselves, make decisions and how we disciple others.
This week’s core value is “Transformation in People” and this is about discipleship. God made man in His image (Genesis 1:27) and so, the church is about people. It is about us being created in God’s image though ours is blemished by sin. Yet for those of us who are believers, the Spirit of God transforms us to redeem and restore us into His image. It is about our hearts turning towards God while we grow in our passion for Him and loving people wholeheartedly. This is so because God’s heart is for the people, especially for the poor and the needy (2 Cor 3:18).
SP Vincent challenged us to grow our church into one with “a heart for people” and to seek godly transformation in them. To fulfill this vision, we are to:
1. Commit to reach the unsaved and disciple them We are to develop a lifestyle of evangelism and obey the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). There’s no true transformation without salvation and renewing of the mind (Romans 12:2). Hence, the importance of discipling new believers.
2. Believe in people and their God-given potential We are to value and love our neighbours (Luke 10:25-37, Matthew 25:31-46) and pray for them to fulfill their God-given potential (Ephesians 4:11-12).
3. Be responsible for our own spiritual growth and development Just as we’ve learnt to feed our physical body, we must also learn to feed ourselves spiritually (Hebrews 5:11-6:3). We are to take personal responsibility for our spiritual maturity (Ephesians 4:14).
4. Create conducive environments for life-long learning and growing Transformation happens when people experience God. Thus, we must seek to create a faith environment where one can experience the spiritual and the supernatural. We may do this through fasting and prayer.
SP Vincent further exhorted us to consider what makes our day. What brings us delight?
What is the church about at the end of the day? Though we may grow weary we must not lose the heart for people. This is because people matters to God and they should matter to us too. Let us examine our “heart capacity” for God and for people, and believe in His transformation work for ourselves and for others.
I was particularly challenged by SP as he asked us a few questions during the sermon. Have you thought about them for yourself?
What drives you? What do you live your life for?
What makes your day?
Do we have a heart to reach and disciple them?
Do we believe in people, their value and their God-given potential?
Are we doing our part to grow spiritually?
Are our gatherings e.g. Sunday services, cell group meetings etc conducive for transformation and growth?
Transformation and OL3 What would your response to that be? Perhaps about the part on whether our cell group meetings are conducive for transformation and growth, maybe you can also share your views with me how we can help OL3 to grow further for that to be possible.
Spiritual Growth & Transformation The discussion on being responsible for our spiritual growth and development was particularly insightful too. As Raymond shared, we need to understand what this means contextually in transformation in people.
We are told to grow from strength to strength in our faith. In Ephesians 4:11-15, we are told to grow in maturity and not be easily swayed by deceit in the world:
Ephesians 4:11-15 (NIV) 11It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.
1 Peter 2 also implore us to grow up in our salvation:
1 Peter 2:2-3 (NIV) 2Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
It becomes clear to us that we are to grow in our spiritual maturity. But the question remains why? Why do you think we need to grow? When we become transformed personally, we are obedient to God's word of calling to grow spiritually. When We Grow... We Make God Known God's heart is to redeem, reconcile with and restore His people. But He does not only want to stop at one. His heart is for all, who Christ died for so that they can be reconciled to God.
Perhaps, John 10 provides a vivid imagery of this:
John 10:14-16 (NIV) 14"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.
Luke 15 also shows how heaven rejoices when sinners repent and those who are lost are found.
This is the heart of God.
And as we grow and shine, we glorify and make God known to others too, as they see our light and praise God:
Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV) 14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
When We Grow... We Allow Others to be Transformed Chek Shih also shared about how when we become too comfortable and choose not to grow, we ultimately takes up resources. How do we then reach out to receive more into God's kingdom when our ministry resources are focused on people who refuse to grow spiritually i.e. only wanting to remain as spiritual babies? Instead, we need to raise up more to share God's love and how He can help transform lives through His people and His community.
Matthew 9:36-38 (NIV) 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
Are we ready to have our lives brought to the next level with God and also to help others' lives be transformed? We are all, after all, called to the ministry of reconciliation:
2 Corinthians 5:17-20 (NIV) 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that 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. 20We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.
How Then Do We Grow Spiritually?
Learning from Professional Development It's interesting how there is so much correlation between our professional growth and spirtual growth. Chek Shih asked what would we do if we want to advance and grow professionally... well, we will go for the right courses, read the right books, look for the right mentors, join professional groups for growth, spending time practicing etc... It is the same with growing spiritually and in the same way, we can go for the right Christian Education courses, read the right books or even better, reading directly from God's word. looking for mentors or even spiritual growth partners, spending time in our quiet time with the Lord, praying etc.
Learning from Relationships If the Christian faith is about relationship with God, how can we develop our relationship with God when it is just mainly through books and courses; we need to spend time with the Lord Himself.
In addition, we cannot rely solely on our spiritual leaders to develop our relationship with the Lord in the same way we cannot solely rely on others to develop our personal relationships; we need to develop that relationship ourselves.
Just as people grow closer together in relationships and who may even start to understand and share the same perspective of seeing things, we will also start to see and share God's heart as we continue to spend time with Him.
Are we transformed and helping many others' lives to be transformed?
Philippains 4:13 (NIV) I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Mark 10: 27 (NIV) Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."
God’s Timing & Plans
I recall a year ago when I was doing cell planning for 2009 and I remember putting down, as one of the goals for the cell, that our cell would take up a mission trip together. Frankly, at that time, I wasn’t much hopeful that this would happen but nonetheless, I remember telling myself it is a good goal to work towards anyway and I do long to be able to anchor a mission trip together with my cell.
The pre-trip preparation was somewhat nerve-wrecking because we did not know what to expect. With only 2 out of the 6 trippers having experience with mission, and with less than two weeks left to the trip following the missions briefing, we started off feeling lost and not knowing what to do. And the thought of 6 of us setting foot onto unfamiliar grounds and meeting people we have yet to meet was enough to bring about much anxiety for me.
Spiritual Warfare
I recall the few weeks prior to the trip, the team started to meet with lots of challenges. For me, I was suddenly entering into the peak period of my work and there was a sudden increase in stress at work, so much so I wasn’t sleeping well at night and was even getting worried about going to work. Soon, I also learnt that my dad was not feeling well and was developing high fever and we had to rush him to the Accidents and Emergency and was warded for pneumonia. Along the way to A&E, my mum also got injured when she tried to get into the taxi and she accidentally knocked her face against the corner of the door. But thank God she is OK. Soon, I also came down with a bad case of flu which plagued me for days up till the eve of the trip. On my way back from the doctor’s, I had also suffered a rather deep cut on my finger as I dug for the key to my house. Things came to a point where I was so overwhelmed by stress at work, at having to deal with my father’s hospitalization, my illness and preparing for the mission trip, that I began to wonder how I am going to cope with it all. I remember turning to God and praying for Him to help me.
One night, I remember being rudely awakened by a nightmare which seemed so real. I had dreamt of a little girl but there is this evilness that I can sense in her and she held on tightly to my arm and threatened me to forsake God. I woke up in cold sweat and panting. This was the first time I had experienced something like this and as I laid there gasping, I could feel a physical pain where the girl had held on to me. The nightmare had been so real that fear began to grip me and I had to do something. I remember bringing out my bible and started to read and meditate on Psalm 23. Soon after, I felt the peace of God returning and I was able to fall back into sleep without much problem.
By this time, I was feeling overwhelmed but the more it got difficult for me, the more I was convinced that I needed to engage in spiritual warfare and pray. I remember one of our cell members commenting in an email that the fact that we are facing so much spiritual attacks does goes to show that we are most probably on the right track. Soon, I have also learnt about my sister having to deal with exhaustion both at work and with preparing for the children’s programme for the mission and there was generally quite a bit of anxiety among the trippers and people were also falling sick, even up to the eve of the trip.
As a team, we decided to fast and pray for the trip and also engaged fellow colleagues, friends, loved ones and cell members as prayer warriors to pray along with us. We were blessed when many of them willingly agreed to pray along for us. Frankly, I felt that we would not have been able to survive the whole trip without our prayer warriors and to that we give thanks to God for; we give thanks for every single one of them. The trip went smoothly because it was bathed in prayer. Talking about the power of prayer!
The Many Willing Helping Hands
As we slowly approached the day of the mission trip, I continue to see how God continued to journey with us and blessed us. It was amazing seeing how much He has helped us to achieve within a short period of time of 12 days; amidst all the stresses and anxiety and work, we had managed to meet up to practice Malay praise and worship songs, bought all the necessary logistics and work on the props for the Sunday school. It was also amazing how God has brought people into our midst to help prepare us for the trip, including Eric and Lydia, who came to share with us their experience in previous trips and taught us Malay praise and worship songs and children action songs. We also thank God for the many cell members who have came forward to help us, including, Jeslyn, in offering her creative skills and helping us to do up the giant worship song sheets; Kent, Elly and Raymond in helping us to do up the backdrop for the skit and cut up stickers for the children. Even though it seemed like a tight deadline to have everything done up, I thank God for unity and also for joy as we went about the shopping and doing the preparations. I thank God for protecting the relationships between all the brothers and sisters and how it seemed the preparations have also brought about much bonding between the trippers.
Dealing with Anxiety
Personally, I also thank God for how he ministered to me during this period. Throughout the whole period of preparation, I can see how the team members are all so focused on doing their best to ensure the success of the trip. I do not deny that this brought with it quite a bit anxiety and stress as we thought “there are so many things to do but yet so little time”. This is especially true for me because, call it occupational hazard, I am a person who is very particular about planning as I do extensive planning to ensure success in my role at work. So by this time, I was getting all edgy with so many things to do but yet having so little time to plan. We literally had to plan as we did our preparation. But throughout the preparation phase, I sensed from God through my quiet time, how we should not focus on the wrong things and ultimately, it is not about how well the things run but it is about how both we and the people we are ministering to are blessed. Things became more crystallized when I found myself in a situation where I had to share about what God has placed on my heart, to encourage one of our trippers about this. Talking about a steep learning curve! So, it’s amazing how God has first ministered to me, and then, as if to drive the point in, caused me to minister to another.
Throughout the preparation phase, I continued to seek God to give me His word so I can encourage our trippers. So, in my quiet time, He continued to speak to me through Isaiah 40:3, Isaiah 62:10 and Isaiah 40:10 and reminded me that all we need to do is to just focused on preparing the way for Him and for His people to come to Him and how we are to continue to trust in Him that He will strengthen us and help us.
Prepare the way for Him
Isaiah 40:3 (NIV)
A voice of one calling:
"In the desert prepare
the way for the LORD;
make straight in the wilderness
a highway for our God.
Prepare the way for His people to come to Him
Isaiah 62:10 (NIV)
Pass through, pass through the gates!
Prepare the way for the people.
Build up, build up the highway!
Remove the stones.
Raise a banner for the nations.
Continue to trust in God that He will be with us as we go forth
Isaiah 40:10 (NIV)
So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
In fact, God continued to minister to me through His word and through people even throughout the trip. I recall that on the first day in Melaka, as we were doing some last minute shopping at the local shopping mall, we entered a Christian bookshop. There, my sister came up to me with a devotional book and pointed out to me how the devotional for the day and the day before was just so timely and appropriate; about not focusing on the wrong things but on worshipping God through what we do. That evening, we had a powerful time of worship, which I sensed further drove this point deep into the hearts of our trippers.
The Body of Christ; One Body Many Parts
I thank God for blessing the team with wisdom and for how each member of the team joyfully brought their giftings to bless one another. I thank God for using me and my skills in planning to put the trip together, though I have come to realize how my planning skills was of no use midway through the trip and realized I had to rely on my other members and God). I thank God for using my meticulousness in managing the mission fund. I thank God for sustaining me through His word, and as much as I was encouraged spiritually, I do hope that I had also been able to encourage the team spiritually too. I thank God for Joyce for her skills and experience in working with children and how this came in handy in planning the children’s programme for the trip as she willing offered her skills and experience. I thank God for Trina for her desire to serve, for her supportive role she played in the team; always ready to serve in any way and also the insights she brings to the team. I thank God for Chek Shih for his ability to confidently drive us around, for being the fatherly figure thus reassuring us, for his ability to translate for us, for his extrovertedness in engaging the Orang Aslis, and also for his humor in bringing much light hearted moments to the trip. I also thank God for Daniel for the joy and enthusiasm he injects to the team and for his willingness to plan out the programme and also his quick-mindedness in responding to situations. I thank God for Min Qin for her enthusiasm, joy, her support to me during the time of trip preparation, her quick-mindedness and her facilitation of the powerful time of worship on Friday evening which spoke into the hearts of the team and also in planning the worship for the trip and drafting out the mission trippers’ booklet. I also thank God for the various people He has placed to support us as well, including the many who supported us in our preparation and pray for us, including Kent, who provided me assurance when he offered to be the contact person in Singapore should my parents need help and James and Joyce Marissa who graciously agreed to help facilitate cell in my absence. God made it very clear to me how he has given each and every one of us different giftings, experiences, skills and how, when we are willing, we complement one another and can achieve much in His ministry. In fact, this was really beyond what I could have imagined because in the early stages of planning, I was still concerned how we are going to pull off the trip when I realized we only had a small team, we did not really have the time to practice worshipping in Malay with the guitar and we might not have someone who could speak Malay. But God provided and showed us that as we set forth to do His work, He provides. And as the body of Christ is willing to be a part, things are achieved.
1 Corinthians 12:4-7, 14, 25-27 (NIV) There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good… Now the body is not made up of one part but of many… so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
God’s Presence
I thank God for His presence with us throughout the trip, not only protecting us; granting us journey mercies, but even in ministering to us through a powerful time of worship on Friday, when the word came how we just needed to focus our attention on praising His name as we embarked on our projects starting the next day and not on anything else.
We thank God for his presence at Sungei Mering when we were caught by surprise and were asked to facilitate a children’s programme but yet without any plans. Nonetheless, we managed to pull together a whole programme and engaged the children. We just trust God and one another and sprung into action. And before we know it, we had managed to engage the children with action songs and the adults were finishing their sharing. By this point, I sensed God teaching me how I need to sometimes learn to rely on Him.
And I thank God for His presence with me on Sunday, as I stepped out to share my testimony with the Orang Asli. There was just a sense of peace and confidence as I faced the people, contrary to how I would feel when usually sharing in public and especially to a group of people I do not know. God gave me the words to speak and blessed my heart and gave me peace, that I found myself confidently sharing and even daring to interact a little with the locals as I shared.
Takeaways
I also thank God for the various takeaways I brought home with me:
Renewed Spiritual Fervor Throughout the trip, I am inspired by Pastor Joseph and his team. I have had the opportunity to chat with Pastor Joseph on Friday when we first met him. I have come to be encouraged by this man, who, despite the challenges faced in his ministry with the Orang Aslis (ranging from their indifference to disruptions from the police and authorities), he continued to hold on to his ministry for years; building rapport with the Orang Asli one by one, spanning his ministry over 17 kampungs over long distances. And yet, he has but a lean team of himself, his wife and 2 other helpers. It does make me ashamed of how I have come to lament and complain when faced with small challenges in ministry to just a small number of people, in blessed Singapore.
It was also amazing seeing Pastor Joseph’s helpers worship the Lord on Sunday. As another of my trippers has remarked: “they have nothing to gain out of their ministry but yet they are putting in so much to serve the Lord”, reaching out to people who might reject them but yet holding on. As I saw his helpers worship and one of them worshipping in tears, I come to realize how each one of them must have a story behind them, an encounter with God, which motivates and sustains them. As for me, I am reminded again as we shared our testimonies on Friday evening, that I have a story too and a rather powerful encounter with God. But because I am rarely revisiting it nowadays, I seem might be slowly forgetting about how God is so real in my life. I need to continue to remember what the Lord has done in my life and am thinking that it might be good for me to revisit my story on an annual basis during my spiritual retreat while continuing to be aware of how real God is in my life every single day.
Psalm 77:11-12 (NIV)
I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.
“One-Truth-At-A-Time”
Pastor Joseph also shared about his ministry principle of sharing one bible truth at a time to the Orang Asli. I guess it is a real reality check for me to take a step back sometimes in ministry and how sometimes packing too many truth into one sharing might not be helpful and I need to cater to varying levels of spiritual growth.
We are linked to one another to God During the trip, I had the chance to chat with Pastor Joseph and in the midst of talking, I had come to learn that he was classmates with an officer in The Salvation Army, where I work. This officer is also the same one who persisted and shared Christ with him, bringing him to Christ. Talking about a small world! And now he is here, reaching out to, ministering to and blessing many others.
Much later in the trip, I recall Chek Shih sharing how we are all part of God’s link in reaching out to His people; that we can choose to be a strong link, the weakest link or the missing link.
2 Corinthians 5:17-20 (NIV)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new 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. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.
Even after I returned to work from mission trip, this continue to speak strongly to me when I heard my colleagues share how one of them shared her testimony during Alpha course the week before and as a result, someone who used to be resistant to receiving Christ, was touched and chose to receive Christ that very week. My colleague had shared that the pastor who approached her mentioned that he was prompted to ask her to share her testimony and how she, despite feeling her testimony is just a simple one, was also led by the Spirit to accept the invitation to share. And after she had shared, God used her testimony to touch the life of this lady who subsequently decided to accept Christ. Nothing is impossible for God.
Beware of cultural Assumption I have come to also realized how sometimes I would bring cultural assumptions into the missions field, just as how I nearly asked a boy who was doing some colouring to use orange for skin when I realized that their cultural understand of skin colour is dark brown. And God made each and every person they way they are, despite differences in skin colour, lifestyle, habits etc. I have learnt that I needed to be mindful of my cultural assumptions I bring into missions.
Breakthroughs I thank God for the breakthroughs in trip. At the beginning of the trip, I was feeling really lousy at not being able to engage the children and retreating again into my introvertedness. But as I reached the second project site at Sungei Mering, I remember telling myself that there is nothing to lose and I just needed to trust God. I did managed to break out of my negativity and became more engaged with the locals as we sang and danced to Malay praise songs.
Similarly, I had initially also intended not to share my testimony because the Pastor was telling us on Saturday that we can choose what we wanted to share with the locals, either a testimony or a song item etc. But after hearing him share about his challenges with the Orang Asli and how he would like to bring them to a deeper level of worship of God; from worshipping God for the goodness they received, to worshipping God for His greatness, I decided to just trust God and hoped to share and encourage them. At that very moment, God placed in my heart a burden and it became far too difficult for me to say no to share.
I was glad that I took the step of faith and could sense His peace upon me as I began to share my testimony with confidence on Sunday. Even though it was just a short version of my testimony, I trust God to be able to use it mightily according to His will.
Frankly, I can go on and on… but I just want to thank God for:
journey mercies and how despite plans and project sites were changed, we did not get lost and managed to always find our way to different places.
exposure to working with children on Saturday as we observed the our Malaysian brothers and sisters engage the children and how this has helped us to prepare ourselves for our second project at Sg Mering and also for Sunday School.
blessings over the trippers’ health and there was no major health problems during the trip, with the exception of me having a breakout of rashes on my neck, which cleared up soon.
friendly locals who welcomed us
unity and bonding not only within the team but also with Pastor Joseph and his team there. There was even a time where the team spontaneously burst out singing hymns as we made our way to Sunday service.
food credits for our hotel stay and so we had got to enjoyed a good sumptuous Japanese buffet on the evening of day 2.
energy and being able to sustain through the few days despite having little sleep with all the preparation the previous nights e.g. rehearsal for skit etc.
time for fellowship and a little eating and shopping on Sunday after finishing off with Sunday service.
touching me as I worshipped the Lord in the midst of people of a different culture, even though I did not understand them. It was amazing and awesome to see people of different tongues worshipping the Lord together. And I can’t imagine how it would be like on the day of Christ’s return when people of every nation and tongue worship and praise Him.
enough funds and how there is even remaining money from our fund.
the good rest I had at the trip, being away from all my work and challenges in Singapore.
Sherlock Holmes and Watson were camping in the forest. They had gone to bed and were lying beneath the night sky. Holmes said, “Watson, look up. What do you see?”
Watson obliged and answered, “I see thousands of stars.”
“And what does that mean to you?” Holmes asked.
“I suppose it means that of all the planets in the universe, we are truly fortunate to be here on Earth. God is all-powerful and even though we may seem small and insignificant, we can live each day under God's power. In a meteorological sense, it means we’ll have a sunny day tomorrow. What does it mean to you, Holmes?”
“To me, it means someone has stolen our tent.”
"Are you a optimist or a pessimist?" Asks the facilitator this morning.
We are reminded, from scriptures and from our life experiences and also the life experiences of others, that as Christians, the difference is life is not that we have a trial-free life but we have a God-filled life; a life we know where the presence of God will help us weather through the storms whenever it comes.
We are reminded from Romans 8:28-39 that:
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose... If God is for us, who can be against us?... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
In the story of Daniel, we see how others had meant harm for him. As a result, he was thrown into a lion's den. Miraculously, he survived the ordeal and responded to the King the next day
Daniel 6:21-22 (NIV) Daniel answered, "O king, live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king.
As a result, Daniel was saved and God was glorified as the King issued a decree:
Daniel 6:26-27 (NIV) "I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. "For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end.
He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions."
What do you do when you face a difficult moment? Do you remember what He has done in your life and what He has done in the lives of many? Will you trust in the Lord and hold on to His hope? Do you fear and revere the Lord to be found "innocent in His sight"?
When the Lord reigns, all will be well.
Psalm 63 A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.
1 O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
6 On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.
7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
8 My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
9 They who seek my life will be destroyed; they will go down to the depths of the earth.
10 They will be given over to the sword and become food for jackals.
11 But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God's name will praise him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced.
Got this nice prayer at our devotion today and it was interesting as the facilitator got us to take a line each and pray as we are ministered by it. A nice reminder that we enter our work with God and His presence is always with us.
My Heavenly father, as I enter this workplace I bring your presence with me.
I speak your peace, Your grace, Your mercy, and Your perfect order in this office.
I acknowledge You power over all that will be spoken, thought, decided, and done within these walls.
Lord, I thank You for the gifts You have blessed me with. I commit to using them responsibly in your honor.
Give me a fresh supply of strength to do my job.
Anoint my projects, ideas, and energy so that even my smallest accomplishment may bring You glory.
Lord, when I am confused guide me.
When I am burned out infuse me with the light of the Holy Spirit.
May the work that I do and the way I do it bring faith, joy, and a smile to all that I come in contact with today.
And Lord, when I leave this place, give me travelling mercy.
Bless my family and home to be in order as I left it.
Lord, I thank You for everything You've done, everything You're doing, and everything Your're going to do.
In the Name of Jesus I pray, with much love and thanksgiving.
I am sure that you would have "attended" our first e-Service on Sunday. And I was thinking isn't it cool how despite the mini-crisis or major disruption" as SP calls it, our church is still able to rise above the situation and overcome it. As someone has put it, we have victory over the enemy!
I have to admit that when the H1N1 infections in Riverlife Church was first made known over a week ago and when the church was identified as one of the initial few community cluster, it had not been easy. All of a sudden, it seemed that the virus is coming to our doorsteps and affecting people around us; there was worry for people admist us who are working in the healthcare sector, people who have been infected, people who are suspected of infection, people who are unwell and also people who are overseas.
And there was suspicion whether or not I myself had also been infected. People around me were also coming up to me and asking me "you are from Riverlife right?". I even had a friend who was concerned about contact with me that ultimately a gathering was cancelled for peace of mind. There was fear, feeling of being rejected, worry, uncertainty. Though I would have to say that it is not a major crisis, it nonetheless affected me a bit throughout the week.
But, in recent days, I have had the chance to also reflect upon the whole experience and I would say that to me, the mini crisis seemed to brought on positive effects as well. I realised:
how some were being pulled together in unity through this episode and how some cell, especially the central two cell which had 5 out of 10 infections in Riverlife. Some of us prayed for each other and for the situation as well
how I can sometimes be inward looking and it took this episode to remind me that I should not take things for granted and only pray when something happens but that God cares for everyone too; that be it whether Riverlife has infections or not, we should also pray for everyone;
the nature of the Church as people rised up to the occasion and who are willing to bless others by offering their time, effort and giftings for the sake of others; this as SP mentioned, is what Church is all about, not a building but the body of Christ coming together in unison for God and His people;
how God provides for us despite the circumstance; providing us with technology that we are able to continue to be edified by SP and come together as a church in Spirit to worship and hear from God;
how Riverlife Church is relatively well known now given all that happened, which makes me ask what's next for the Church? Is God positioning us for something that Riverlife could rise up to as we continue to seek Him?
I must say that Sunday's online sermon was powerful and it challenged me. As I sat there to hear from Senior Pastor, God placed in my heart the verse from Romans 8:31 (NIV) "What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?".
Throughout the weekend, God seems to be asking this question as I did reflection for my foundation for cell leadership course and through the sermon:
"Will you still worship me in Spirit and in truth and trust in me?"
I may not know specifically what God's plans are but I do know He is real. To me, the uncanny coincidence about the second wave of revival starting with the youth and how the second wave of the H1N1 virus (as Minister of Health called it) was caught by our youth, may goes to show either (i) this is coincidence or (ii) something is happening and this is a preview of greater things to be done. Either way, I still think we need to grow in our walk with the Lord and have His power and glory manifest through us.
Within a few hours on Saturday and Sunday, I was also assured from Isaiah 40:31 (NIV) two separate times:
"but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
Will you stand firm and worship God in Spirit and in truth? After all, if God is for us, who can be against us? Will you believe in Him?
God Of This City
You’re the God of this city You’re the King of these people You’re the Lord of this nation You are
You’re the light in this darkness You’re the hope to the hopeless You’re the peace to the restless You are
There is no one like our God There is no one like our God
For greater things have yet to come And greater things are still to be done In this city Greater things have yet to come And greater things are still to be done In this city (Here)
We believe, we believe in You, God!
We want to continue to give thanks to God for all His healing and that all the Riverlife cases have been discharged. Let's also thank God for the many staff and volunteers who have worked hard during this challenge. Let's pray for God's favour and restoration and protection over them. Do continue to pray for our leaders as they lead us during the time of the calling to revival and could be susceptible to spiritual attacks.
