Received this from Raymond and it's a nice reminder about what God can do in our lives.
I like a quote in the article "remember how far you've come, not just how far you have to go". And yes, how true it is, sometimes, we let the daunting path ahead distract us from remembering what God has done in our lives so far.
As 1 Cor 1:26 beckons us "think of what you were when you were called".
A Delay is not a Denial from God
by Rick Warren
These things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day! Habakkuk 2:3 (LB)
"Remember how far you've come, not just how far you have to go."
The Bible is filled with examples of how God uses a long process to develop character, especially in leaders. He took eighty years to prepare Moses, including forty in the wilderness. For 14,600 days Moses kept waiting and wondering, "Is it time yet?" But God kept saying, "Not yet."
Contrary to popular book titles, there are no Easy Steps to Maturity or Secrets of Instant Sainthood. When God wants to make a giant oak, he takes a hundred years, but when he want to make a mushroom, he does it overnight. Great souls are grown through struggles and storms and seasons of suffering. Be patient with the process. James advised, "Don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed." (James 1:4, Msg)
Don't get discouraged. When Habakkuk became depressed because he didn't think God was acting quickly enough, God had this to say: "These things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!" (Habakkuk 2:3, LB)
Remember how far you've come, not just how far you have to go. You are not where you want to be, but neither are you where you used to be. Years ago people wore a popular button with the letters PBPGINFWMY. It stood for "Please Be Patient, God Is Not Finished With Me Yet." God isn't finished with you, either, so keep moving forward. Even the snail reached the ark by persevering!
In what area of your spiritual growth do you need to be more patient and persistent?
We finished the 21 days of prayers on 21 March. So many things I have heard from the Lord during this period even up till now, I felt God is still in the midst of giving me revelation and understanding about issues in my life and directions. I am really thankful for this journey, how God had breakthrough in my life. I am really amazed by God's work in my life, his grace and courage uplifting my spirit. I just wanna to share the areas God had moved my heart in this period(actually the 21 days of prayer is just the beginning of the breakthrough I am beginning to see in my life):
The assurance of God's peace and strength to close the last chapter of an important relationship in my life even in the midst of deep emotions within my heart. In fact it is a very painful process I undergo as I choose to end this chapter of my life under such circumstances especially for me as a person with such strong cravings for family. But I have come to a point when I realized ending this chapter is very important for me, I felt peace even though emotionally it may not have been easy. God tells me it is the time to let go and move on from this painful past. I felt the peace to let go of this past pain and guilt I have been going through in these past 3 years. God still has his assurance and promise for me. What has happened in the past is only the work of the flesh. But something greater will happen. I will witness God's powerful work of the spirit in my life, something that I have never experienced before in my life where I will experience unprecedented faith and fruitfulness in the Lord. Lord open up my heart to see greater things in my life. I choose to seek your face and obey you completely in my life. I choose to have undivided devotion and love for you. Only you shall my heart long after deeply.
"There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to weep and a time to laugh,.....
a time to mourn and a time to dance,.....
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,.....
He has made everything beautiful in its time." (Ecclesiastes 3)
I also decided to go for H&W after the cell prayer session at my house on 07 Mar.
God had prepared my heart to go for the H&W now. Nothing better than God's good timing now. In fact after I send in my H&W forms, I began to feel something different in my spirit. I felt a sense of peace in my heart. That God is so good to me that he is about to start a new work in my life. It seems like I am beginning to hear from God again. Behold I am hearing from God, nothing can block the connection as I choose to yield to him and lay hold of my past, my pains and sins before him. My past and sins had no hold on me anymore. Within 2 weeks I submitted the form, I heard from church on the H&W session they had arranged for me. I managed to know who my counsellor is, I thought her name is very familiar but I had no recollections who she is. Actually I saw her on the day I submitted the form which is also one of the prayer meeting I came for. Then I saw my counsellor on few days ago at the church Intercessors prayer meeting. I didnt know she is the one. I went for prayer for my family situations and struggles. She is the one who prayed for me. At that time, when she prayed for me, I suddenly felt she could be my counsellor (the name and person kinda matched). It is also amazing she is the one who prayed for me. It is confirmed when Pastor called her name later. I am thankful God kinda prepared my heart to meet my counsellor first before I formally meet her in the H&W session.
I remember on 7 March, I saw the advertisement at Pasir Ris Mrt Station with this renown quote: Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising up whenever we fall. What a rhema word for me from God! I felt God is telling me to rise up where I have fallen in the area of relationship. God is ready to redeem me and the painful past I went through. Who is the one who restore? Who is the one who give us strength to rise up from where we have fallen? Is not it God? God is willing to to restore us back to where we had been. But are we willing to take that step of faith with the Lord? Are we willing to trust the Lord? Just that leap of faith?
I felt the assurance of God's promises and provision in my life. Something different has happened now. I have chosen to lay hold of God in my life. I will trust him wholeheartedly (not just my mind alone but my heart totally) with unwavering faith, God shall be the desires of my heart. I will cry out to God and he will hear me and answer me. God will prove that he is so faithful to deliver his promises. God will never shortchange us if we commit in our heart to trust him. God will be my deliverer forever!
From my readings from Breakthrough Prayers, the painful past and story of a young lady touches my heart deeply. I see how God is so gracious to a broken young women from Haiti. God's power and love can heal us in places only he can touch. God wanna me to know that his answers are always worth waiting for. I need to keep holding onto the Lord today no matter how I feel, no matter how bad things get.
I am also assured so much by God's love and forgiveness in the 21 days of prayers, I received these verses and stories released to my heart:
"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget,
I will not forget you! (Isaiah 49:15) God has not forgotten me!
Luke 7:36-50 (The sinful woman actually adores Jesus so much that she is willing to give all of her to Jesus, far beyond his disciples and other people do for Jesus. I recognize this require faith, and she knows Jesus right in her heart)
John 4&8: Referring to reaction of Jesus when he saw them, Jesus loves them.
"You shall no longer be called the abandoned. You shall be called beloved. This is a special word that Pastor Betty released on 03 Mar during the prayer meeting, also my actual birthday. Thanks God for giving me this special day when I can choose to consecrate my life once again to God. In fact I feel in my spirit that the breakthrough had progressive started since from onset of 21 days of prayers as we prepared our hearts and being to pray.
Indeed I am really thankful for this 21 days of prayers, I felt a transformation in my life that words may not be able to fully express it. Not only it had empowered me to heighten my faith and trust in the Lord. In the midst of uncertainty about life and things around me, I felt the constant assurance & reassurance of God's peace in my life. I realized such a deep longing for the Lord within me. Therefore I am determined to walk right with God daily, nothing is better than living a life of obedience and abiding in him wholeheartedly in which ever area of life.
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?
NLE (Men), now known as Divine Encounter (Men), is coming from 30 Oct-1 Nov @ Mercure Johor Palm Resort & Golf. Wonder any of you keen to go along together for a time of refreshing, healing and restoration? I do strongly encourage you to go if you believe that it would help or especially if the Lord is prompting you that you need further restoration. Just make the step in faith and leave the rest to the Holy Spirit.
I share with you here my concise testimony which I shared in church last year. I have previously shared my encounter in detail here.
Psalm 23:1-3 (NIV) 1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
As I shared in my previous testimony, the Lord may be saying to some of you "the time for restoration and healing is now". May the Lord make you lie down on green pastures and lead you to quiet waters.
“An upgrading project”… that’s how I would describe my experience with the New Life Encounter (Men) last year. Just like an upgrading project, I have come to realize in the days following NLE, that God has begun a work of significant restoration through NLE. Having been through the beatings of life… I’ve experienced God’s healing, restoration and renewal. He is also slowly working in my life to make things better than before…
Hello, my name is James. I am from OneLife and am currently also serving in the cell ministry there. I thank God for the opportunity to be able to stand here to share with you about NLE (Men). Frankly speaking, when I was approached more than a month ago to share my testimony for NLE, I was very hesitant. I still remember and am very grateful for the work God did in me through NLE. But being the introverted me, I thought that “this is not for me, leave it to others”. And yet, a part of me battled with that thought and gradually, I became convicted of the need to testify to what God has done in my life, and to bless others as God has blessed me. So, I told God that I am going forth in faith, believing that He will use it for His glory.
I came to RiverLife in August 2005. At that time, I was going through some struggles in my work and personal life, everything seemed to be falling apart. I was deeply wounded by people and circumstances and badly needed respite. In addition to that, I was also burning out at work.
I had backslided for some 15 years. For years, I had rejected friends’ invitation to church, for fear of being looked down upon as a backslider. But this time round, my friend told me that RiverLife was having a service to launch her new building and so I thought I would just come by to visit.
During that service, I was ministered to and rededicated my life to Christ, and God began healing my hurts. It’s interesting how God brought me back during that service (which happens to also be RiverLife’s anniversary). So now every year, I am reminded of my own coming back to God as the church celebrates her anniversary.
Over the course of time, I began to be ministered by God through the weekly sermons, and it began to help nurse my past disappointments, emotional hurts and unforgiveness. But one day, I realised how I had not really gotten over some of my unforgiveness. God impressed upon my heart how I was overwhelmed by unforgiveness and bitterness towards the people who had hurt me, and this was affecting both my personal and spiritual life. And I thought, “It is by no fault of mine that I am this way!”
But my problems in trusting people persisted. Everytime I got emotionally hurt again, I would spiral downwards. It was as if I had hit a glass ceiling and could go no further… I was getting real sick and tired of always yearning to connect with people but yet battling my tendency to withdraw from them for fear of disappointment and hurt again. I was getting very frustrated and desperately needed a breakthrough! And so, I decided I would give NLE a try.
I can recall the day of departure to NLE at Harbourfront, I was waiting around with the other brothers-in-Christ. I remember “beating myself up” emotionally, asking myself “why did I subject myself to this, coming to this retreat all alone?” The introverted side of me was causing me to feel real vulnerable amidst all the unfamiliar faces. I remember asking how I was to survive the next 2 days. I uttered a short prayer to God to watch over me the next 2 days, and help me keep the focus of dealing with my issues.
I had always thought that I had forgiven people for how they hurt me. But on the contrary, I came to realize during NLE how the hurt was still pretty raw and painful. The sessions not only helped to surface my unforgiveness towards others but even towards myself for the things I had done to grieve God. Some of these things have been repressed for so long I had totally forgotten about them. Most importantly, I have come to learn and understand from the heart, how we have been commanded to forgive, how Christ Himself set an example of releasing forgiveness through His work on the cross, how we are all WIP (Works in Progress), and how God not only loves us but wants to be reconciled with us, and to empower us.
Immediately after NLE, I went back to journal about my experience and encounter with God. It was a good time of reflection as I came to full realization and appreciation of the work that God had begun in me. So, I have much to share and can really go on and on about my 2 days experience. But the main thing is that I am really here to encourage those who need a touch from the Lord- take a step of faith and come forth to let Him start His work of significant restoration in you. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven”. And I believe that God is saying to some of you here that it is time for you to release and commit your struggles to Him…allow Him to breakthrough for you.
Are there any areas of unforgiveness and bitterness in your life now? Are there areas which you find difficult to let go? God is willing to work with you and heal you if you yield yourself to Him… Thank you.
How do you live life after being a Christ-follower? Have anything changed?
As I saw this clip and when reflecting upon, it became clear to me that as compared to the past, I have come to become relatively more confident in life, knowing that I am not alone and that God is always with me, watching over me and guiding me.
For me, seeing God at work in my life, both in big ways and small ways, both in blessing me to achieve things I know I would not be able to alone and in helping me to overcome trials, have just helped me to become more and more confident in living life with God's presence.
One thing I have learnt is that being a Christ-follower does not necessarily means life will be easier but life becomes more bearable, peaceful, more powerful and hopeful knowing that God is with us.
After all, did not God in His word promise us that:
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV)
and "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:5b-6, NIV).
Our God is an omniscient (knowing everything), omnipotent (all powerful) and omnipresent (being present everywhere) God.Have you allowed Him to change your life?
Today, we had department devotion and as we were going through Our Daily Bread today, it was interesting how the article sparked off quite a bit of reflection within me; I had thought that as Christians and having accepted the Lord, we should know who we are and where we are going. But the truth is that, we seem to need constant reminders and reflections:
Our Daily Bread 16 February 2009 Link: http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2009/02/16/devotion.aspx 1 John 3:1-9
The Answer
The story is told that the philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) was sauntering through Berlin’s famous Tiergarden one day, mentally probing the questions of origin and destiny that had been constantly perplexing him: Who am I? Where am I going?
A park-keeper, closely observing the shabbily dressed philosopher as he walked slowly with head bowed, suspected that Schopenhauer was a tramp. So he walked up to the philosopher and demanded, “Who are you? Where are you going?” With a pained expression, Schopenhauer replied, “I don’t know. I wish somebody could tell me.”
Are you ever perplexed by those same questions? Who am I? Where am I going? What a comfort it is to have God’s authoritative answers in the Bible. Who are we? In 1 John 3, John calls his readers “children of God” (v.2). We become His children by receiving Jesus as our Savior from sin (John 1:12). And where are we going? John 14:1-6 tells us that one day He will receive us into a home He is preparing in heaven.
Our Maker is not only the Author of science and history, but He writes the story of every member of Adam’s family—yours and mine. We can trust His answers. — Vernon C. Grounds
Open my ears, that I may hear Voices of truth Thou sendest clear; And while the wave-notes fall on my ear, Everything false will disappear. —Scott
When you know Jesus, you know who you are and where you’re going.
It was a refreshing touch and reminder as I pondered about purpose of life once again. I have again come to realise, through all the discussion and even the sermon at the Chinese service last week, how God's heart is for relationship with us and to see us transformed and restored, not about robots or religion. He longs for everyone to come back to Him with a contrite, convicted and convinced heart, rather than it all being about just conversion.
So, as some will put it, God has placed eternity in our hearts; a God-shaped vaccuum that many of us tries to fill with things e.g. wealth, sex, glory, work, religiosity etc. Yet sometimes, it takes crises to help us see how these things are not eternal and things will change, but yet God's love will never change. For me, it has been work and achievements in the past which had fed the vaccum. Though it worked for many many years, I soon found myself all shocked and lost when these things started to fail me...
So, if you have yet to pondered about the purpose of life or needs a nudge, here's something which my colleague has found on the net and hope it will ministers:
What On Earth Am I Here For?
Suggested use: Answer the questions first for yourself, and then read and enjoy John Fischer’s comments.
Have you ever wondered about, or felt confused about, the purpose of your life?
Being confused about your purpose in life is not a bad thing. It is actually something that can awaken a desire to seek the truth about who we are and why we’re here.
One of the wisest men in history, King Solomon, who ruled the nation of Israel after his father, David, was confused about his purpose in life. He once wrote, “I, the Teacher, was king of Israel and I lived in Jerusalem. I devoted myself to search for understanding and to explore by wisdom everything being done in the world. I soon discovered that God has dealt a tragic existence to the human race. Everything under the sun is meaningless, like chasing the wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:12-15 NLT).
A lot of people are surprised to find out that such statements are in the Bible, and that God himself would be blamed as being responsible for our meaningless lives. But the key to Solomon’s observation is where he places the seat of this wisdom as being “under the sun.” Solomon is saying that if he looks at our human existence trapped on this planet and tries to explain it using human reason and accomplishments “under the sun,” that he can’t come to any better conclusion than life is meaningless.
It is hard—almost impossible—to explain the meaning of life without God, and that’s why everything starts here. God brings design and purpose to our existence. God has a plan that stretches beyond our history. God wants a relationship with us. That in itself gives us meaning. For whatever reason, Solomon wasn’t willing to go beyond what he could physically prove to look for answers to his questions
Every human being who has ever lived has had questions about his or her existence. It makes a big difference where you look for answers. You can’t really know much about meaning in life without being willing to admit that “beyond the sun”—or outside our human experience—is a Being with a design and a reason for all that we see and experience “under the sun.” You’ll need to at least be open to the possibility to move on in this study.
Here’s something to think about: Do you think it’s possible that God created us hungry for the very thing He wants to give us? He created us to seek Him? If so, wondering about your purpose could very well be the most important thing you could do. If this is true, then wondering about your purpose is the first step in finding it.
What ways have you tried to discover your life’s purpose that haven’t worked?
Have you ever wondered if a good deal of advertising appeals to the need we all have for purpose and meaning in life? Buy this car, drink this beer, go to this school, wear this make-up, purchase this insurance and you will have meaning in life. (…and for everything else, there’s MasterCard.)
The real truth about human nature never changes. Almost 400 years ago, Blaise Pascal, a brilliant French scientist and philosopher explained the dilemma of human existence as a God-shaped vacuum in the center of the human heart—a need for God that He placed there that won’t be satisfied by anything other than God Himself. In Pascal’s own words:
What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace? This he tries in vain to fill with everything around him, seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot find in those that are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object—in other words, by God Himself.
Think of the things our culture lures us into using for our purpose: power, prestige, glory, sex, and wealth. The problem with these things is that there never seems to be enough. Even the people who have “arrived” aren’t happy the way we imagine them being. Meaninglessness is like a black hole at the center of human existence that sucks up whatever we throw at it, leaving it as empty as it was before. Even things that are supposed to be good seem to disappear in this deep cavern.
What have you thrown into the black hole of your existence that hasn’t filled it up? I think we all receive temporary satisfaction from some things, but what will really hold up over time?
Why do you think people try to discover their life’s purpose without turning to God, their creator?
Let’s think about some answers on this one:
- If I turned to God I might lose control of my life.
- God might take away all my fun.
- If there is a God, He’s definitely bigger than me and probably has some demands on my life.
- We always want to do things ourselves. Theme song: “I Did It My Way.”
- We want to be in control of our own destiny.
- We are afraid of God, we don’t know God, or we find God too mysterious.
- We think God’s idea of purpose is probably pretty religious and definitely boring.
- We like religion about as much as we like politics; we don’t want to get into a discussion about either one.
- We don’t believe in creation. We’ll have to find a purpose apart from a designed existence because that’s what we learned to believe.
But what if God were a kind, loving creator who made us like Himself because He wanted a relationship with us, and gave us the ability to choose Him or not because He didn’t want robots? What if He actually has our best interests in mind? Wouldn’t you want to check it out?
For Further Study
Ephesians 1:3-14 God’s eternal plan for us.
Ecclesiastes 12:1-14 Even Solomon made some difficult conclusions about God ’s place in our search for meaning.
Believe Jacelyn Tay's tesimony has been going around. Here's an excerpt from Impact Magazine :D
Jacelyn Tay entered the 4th bi-annual Star Search Competition organised by MediaCorp while in her freshman year at the National University of Singapore in 1995, and won the female category of the competition and the top prize of an acting contract. Her big break came when she played He Xiangu in the Singapore TV series “Legends of the Eight Immortals” in 1998. Thereafter she acted in various roles ranging from a girl-next-door, to a member of a hotel staff to a psychiatrist. Tay’s screen performances in period dramas were so well-received that she won the coveted award of Taiwan’s Most Popular MediaCorp Female Artiste in Star Awards 1999. She also performed theme songs and intermediary songs for several drama serials and released a compilation album with Mediacorp Music.
When it seemed that her success had no bounds, a twist of fate took away almost all that she had worked for. She was forced to declare bankruptcy after owing $300,000 to a stockbroking firm. This event tarnished her image and made many sponsors shy away from her. Instead of letting this get the better of her, she worked hard to put her finances back in order. She then went on to produce a magazine show, write 2 books and hosted a health and beauty show entitled A New You in 2005.
In 2006, she became the founder & current chief executive of The Health Club, a medical spa that holds the vision of restoring the body’s natural ability to heal itself and bringing health to greater heights. She is presently studying to become a nutritionist.
You were rising in your career when you became a Christian. What led you to consider Jesus Christ?
Before I knew God, I only believed in myself. I believed that all gods were the same. Handling pressure was basically part and parcel of life.
I am a very strong person. I thought I didn’t need God and I could survive very well. A lot of people think that somebody becomes a Christian because he is weak or has problems. In my case I found God when everything was going well. My career was fine. My relationships were fine, but there was still an emptiness in my heart which I didn’t understand. I was actually pretty lost when I had everything.
At that time I was actually a staunch Buddhist. I had my Fai Ming (a Dharma name acquired during a Buddhist refuge ceremony, traditionally given by a high- ranking Buddhist monk.) and the black and yellow-coloured robes. I was ‘baptised’ into Buddhism. I even prayed in the Japanese temple. I also believed in Feng Shui.
You would think I had no need for all that since I was doing well. But as a celebrity, you depend on so-called luck. When you have fame, you have money, but you are also afraid of losing what fame you have. How do you get fame? Hard work alone is not enough. It’s by luck. You are dependent on luck, so you pray to all the gods, in the hope of becoming popular and famous.
In January 2006, I was injured during a Renci Charity show. I took that opport unity to speak up for the performers. We should not have to do dangerous stunts to get the funds or donations. There are better ways to raise funds.
As I was recovering at home I received a letter from a lady, who wrote that she had a dream of me. She said she was not a fan, but on her 57th birthday, she dreamt of me. In her dream, her husband tapped her on the shoulder during the altar call in church and asked her to pray for the person in front of her. Since she didn’t know who that person was, she was a bit shy. After that she woke up. It was about 3 am. She felt very guilty that she hadn’t prayed, so she asked God to reveal who the person was and what to pray for. When she went back to sleep she saw my face! She began praying for me, and continued to do so until the day that she wrote the letter. But to me, she sounded like another preacher and I threw the letter away.
After that, I kept meeting people telling me about God. The first one was my friend Ricky. I asked him, “So, you are a Christian? But why? Why do you believe that there is only one Almighty God?” He explained to me and somehow I could understand it; I could accept it as logical. From then on, God brought many people to me. Everyday I would meet people telling me about God.
It also happened that the father of the chiropractor who treated me was a retired Bishop worshipping at Kampong Kapor Methodist Church, which is my church now. I wanted to go there to challenge him. I wrote a long list of questions and told my chiropractor,”1 am going to ask your father questions and see whether he can answer me.” I went to church not looking for God. I am quite stubborn. When everybody was standing up, I refused to stand up, and instead, remained seated and disrespectful. I took the Bible from the pew and it opened to Revelation chapter 12 about the woman and the dragon. I suddenly realized I had dreamt about that before, even though I had never read the Bible. How could it be?
In my dream, Revelation chapter 12 was actually in three parts. I dreamt of the first part on one night, and two weeks later the second part, then three weeks later the third part. That is not normal! In my dream I was chased by a dragon. As I read Revelation 12,1 realised the scenario was similar to my dream. It was impossible. There must be a God. How could I have dreamt of something in the Bible that I had never read before? That was 19 February 2006.
That night the retired Bishop led a prayer, saying,”If you decide to receive the Holy Spirit and accept Jesus Christ, then you should say these words.”
In my heart I said, “Okay, I don’t want to decide now:’ But after I went back home, I thought about it and was convinced there must be a God. So I said the sinner’s prayer.
What is the biggest change in your life since you became a Christian?
The biggest change is that God is above everything. So, in my life, God is the most important. God is more important than my mother, and even my future husband or anybody else, anything on earth. God is number one. This is my choice. I choose to commit and be faithful to God because He is really faithful to me. He has been really good to me. Good as in,
I have gone through rough patches, but it always turns out to be good. Those rough patches are for me to learn. When something bad happens I know it is another test. It is to sharpen my character. So I don’t see bad things as bad things anymore. Before I knew God, I was actually very lost. You don’t know why you are here. You do everything and everything is meaningless. But since I came to know God, I know why I am here and I know everything is meaningful. Even when I just bump into somebody, I know it is not by coincidence. It must be God’s arrangement So, I am always looking forward to each new day.
How did you overcome the objections you have to face over your conversion?
My mum is now a Christian. But when I wanted to get baptised in April, which was two months after I received Christ, she objected. Everyday she would call me, cry and threaten me, saying that I was not filial, that I was deserting her, since I was not going to pray to her after she died. She didn’t want me to get baptised, and forced me to speak to a monk, saying,”You must speak to Shifu (Master). If you want to be a Christian, that’s fine, but you cannot be baptised.”
I replied, “If you want me to speak to Shifu, I shall. But if he cannot answer some of my questions, then I’ll go ahead and get baptised.”
The monk called me and said, “Christianity is actually something lower than Buddhism.” He believes in the wheel of reincarnation. The six levels of the wheel of reincarnation are: hell, all the lost souls, the animals, human, deity and the Buddha. You have to work hard for millions of years. For instance, if you are a pig, then in the next life you become a human, and then in the next life you become something else.
I replied, “Okay, as a Buddhist, I have to work very hard. I have to do good so that I can earn the points in my report card, hoping that my next life I may be able to become a Buddha. And then as a Buddha, I have to work some more because I want to go to the world of ‘nothingness’ - Nirvana. If that is the case, who decides what I have done so wrong to fall into this wheel of reincarnation. What have I done wrong? Who decides my first life? What did I do to come into this world? Where do I come from?”
He answered, “From the world of nothing¬ness.” But if I come from nothing, which is the ideal state, what wrong did I do to fall into this wheel of reincarnation? He could not answer me. So, everything is meaningless. I came from nothingness and I have to work so hard to go back to the world of nothingness. Because he couldn’t answer me, he told my mum to let me become a Christian.
The night before I got baptised, my mum was still crying and threatening me. Although the monk had said “Let her go”, I think she was controlled by some satanic force. She was like two totally different persons. My mum has never been an aggressive person but during that period she was so aggressive that it seemed she was not being herself. It’s a little strange. My sister who has been a Christian for the past 20 years advised, “Don’t listen to the devil, just go ahead. It will be fine.” So I went ahead. After I was baptised, she became normal again.
How did undergoing the early financial troubles strengthen you as a person? What helps you face the inevitable ups and downs of being an entrepreneur?
I have gone from ‘plus’ to ‘zero’ to ‘minus’. When I was a ‘plus’, I experienced the life of a ‘plus% I was 19 and had more than 100 thousand dollars. Suddenly I was popular. And then after that, I became a ‘minus’. I owed people money. And I realised I could still survive as a ‘minus’. So, what else was there that I couldn’t do? What actually strengthened me was that I didn’t think that there was anything that was impossible, as long as you are positive.
But that philosophy was before I became a Christian. That is why I told you I didn’t believe in anybody else but myself, my own strength. Now when I think about it, I thank God. By my own strength, I actually climbed from ‘minus’ to ‘plus’ but I was still lost. Everything was still meaningless without God. I used to say,”If you have money, if you don’t have money, it’s still the same. You don’t know why you are here and where you are going.”
She is running
A hundred miles an hour in the wrong direction
She is trying
But the canyon's ever widening
In the depths of her cold heart
So she sets out on another misadventure just to find
She's another two years older
And she's three more steps behind
Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?
Or does anybody even know she's going down today
Under the shadow of our steeple
With all the lost and lonely people
Searching for the hope that's tucked away in you and me
Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?
She is yearning
For shelter and affection
That she never found at home
She is searching
For a hero to ride in
To ride in and save the day
And in walks her prince charming
And he knows just what to say
Momentary lapse of reason
And she gives herself away
Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?
Or does anybody even know she's going down today
Under the shadow of our steeple
With all the lost and lonely people
Searching for the hope that's tucked away in you and me
Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?
If judgment looms under every steeple
If lofty glances from lofty people
Can't see past her scarlet letter
And we've never even met her
He is running a hundred miles an hour in the wrong direction Ask: In this world of hurting people, why have we been blessed?
A Blessing Genesis 12:3 (NIV) I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."
An Ambassador in the Ministry of Reconciliation
2 Corinthians 5:18-21 18. All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19. 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. 20. 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. 21. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
One with God's heart for His People
2 Peter 3:9 (NIV) 9. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
John 10: 11-16 (NIV) 11."I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14. "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15. just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16. I 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.
John 21:15-17 (NIV) 15. When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." 16. Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." 17. The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.
People Need the Lord
Everyday they pass me by,
I can see it in their eyes.
Empty people filled with care,
Headed who knows where?
On they go through private pain,
Living fear to fear.
Laughter hides their silent cries,
Only Jesus hears.
People need the Lord, people need the Lord.
At the end of broken dreams, He's the open door.
People need the Lord, people need the Lord.
When will we realize, people need the Lord?
We are called to take His light
To a world where wrong seems right.
What could be too great a cost
For sharing Life with one who's lost?
Through His love our hearts can feel
All the grief they bear.
They must hear the Words of Life
Only we can share.
People need the Lord, people need the Lord
At the end of broken dreams, He's the open door.
People need the Lord, people need the Lord.
When will we realize that we must give our lives,
For peo-ple need the Lord.
People need the Lord.
We are the Reason
As little children we would dream of Christmas morn
Of all the gifts and toys we knew we’d find
But we never realized a baby born one blessed night
Gave us the greatest gift of our lives
We were the reason that He gave His life
We were the reason that He suffered and died
To a world that was lost He gave all He could give
To show us the reason to live
As the years went by we learned more about gifts
The giving of ourselves and what that means
On a dark and cloudy day a man hung crying in the rain
All because of love
All because of love
I finally found the reason for living
It’s in giving every part of my heart to Him (every part to Him)
And all that I do every word that I say (you know I’ll be saying)
I’ll be giving my all just for Him, for Him (every thing for Him)
Will this be a merry Christmas for some and will they come to know the hope and good news behind the season?
Will it be a merry Christmas for you and have you yourself come to know and believe in the good news behind the season?
How are we treating the people who needs Christ? Do we truly love them and care for them as Jesus had cared for people?
How have you been treating outreach? Have it been stamping out of need to fulfill quotas, to feel good for playing your part as a Christian or have been stamping out of love of a Christ-follower for people; to see them overcome their struggles with God?
Cell Discussion: Israel in the Wilderness: Faith Hi everyone, thanks for your sharing today. I had been blessed by your sharing of verses which has ministered to you during times of trials. I hope you will remember these verses as they have spoken to you in the past and keep them close to your hearts. Anyway, I hope to share some of my personal takeaways from my preparation for cell last night.
An Object Lesson on Faith In fact, I thank God for bringing us through the cell. Frankly, before cell, I was totally clueless how to facilitate cell last night. I had been going through a tough week dealing with negative emotions and thoughts which had been affecting my self-esteem but then soon, God helped me realise one thing; that He had brought me through an object lesson about faith this whole week.
I have also been "plagued" by self-esteem issues and always tend to feel inferior and have all kinds of negative thoughts about myself and my abilities. I doubt myself constantly. And even though I am still face these issues now, but then the main difference, as I have come to realise, is how I am responding more in faith now. In the past, I would have been very devastated whenever this happens and sometimes it can really spiral downwards. But God has brought transformation to my life through the past few months and years that I am now able to cope with these thoughts and feelings.
Oooo, I have to admit it had been a horribly draining week but then by the end of it, I have come to realise how, despite being still affected by these feelings, I am able to overcome it because I held on to God in faith. I have faith in God because I had seen how He has shown me grace and brought me back from backsliding, how He has brought me through trials, how He has guided me through ministry (both my cell and work ministry), how He has changed my life and I also remember the promises I have received from Him through His word. And I hold dearly to God, responding in my mind "God, no matter what the circumstances, I am holding on to You and Your promises to me, knowing that You will bring me through."
On Faith & Deeds Anyway, even though I realised how God had brought me through an object lesson in faith, I was still totally clueless as to how to facilitate cell. So yesterday morning, as I made my way to work, I prayed to God to show me how to facilitate cell. As I opened the bible to do my quiet time, I opened to James 2 (the reading for the day) and the heading read "Genuine Faith" (James 2:14-26). I read the chapter which spoke about faith without deeds is dead. Even though I understood that the sermon last Sunday was on faith, somehow the link was not evident. I was sensing being led to use this verse as the opening for cell discussion and I remember thinking to myself "God, this verse does not really link to what we are talking about, but I will have faith and trust in You. I will use this verse, trusting You will use it to minister and open the discussion."
The Confusion Begins: In Deed or Not In Deed? The worst thing came when I arrived at work and as I accessed the Our Daily Bread website, the devotion shown was for the day before (since it is a day before in the states), on "Whom Will You Trust?". It is no doubt on faith but then the devotion made me more confused. Just this morning, I had read from James 2:26 that faith without deeds is dead. And now, the devotion has a verse from Ephesians 2:8-9 which says "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." So what, is works necessary? I became very very confused.
Then, I thank God for giving me time to discuss the topic briefly with Min Qin over the phone during lunch and as we discussed, God brought me to 2 Peter 1:3-11 (NIV):
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. 10 Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
And he also brought me to Philippians 3:8-11 (NIV):
8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
2 Sides of Faith: Saving Faith And everything was beginning to click together, including a deeper understanding of what Elder Freddy mentioned on Sunday about the 2 sides of faith. It became clear to me that, on one hand, faith as in Hebrews 11:1 says that "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Just as we have accepted by faith about God and what He done on the cross for our salvation, so we accept by faith Christ as Saviour and Lord of our lives and so do we accept by faith that at the end of the journey, we are assured of where we will go. This is the saving faith. And this was mentioned in Ephesians 2, that we are saved by God's grace and not because of what we have done. In fact, I have recently read a devotional which says that the "God of Christianity never claims to be fair". Yup, you heard it right. Andy Stanley mentioned in the devotional that "A truly fair God would give you exactly what you deserve and nothing more... He decided not to give us what we deserve-that's mercy. In addition, God decided to give us exactly what we don't deserve-we call that grace". So it is no doubt that we are saved by grace and it is through faith in Christ that we are saved.
2 Sides of Faith: Faithfulness But then Elder Freddy also spoke about faithfulness. And it is more about how we "run the race". In 2 Peter 1, Peter wrote to give guidance to growing Christians and asked to "make every effort to add to your faith..." So there is faith but then there is more after that... It seems that it is a process that as we profess our faith in Christ Jesus, it is not complete. We are to continue the process of being more Christ-like so we do not become ineffective and unproductive in our knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:8) and becoming more like him in his death, (2 Peter 1:10) pure, holy and blameless but yet obedient to God. So it speaks of the process. So, is process more important or the destination? Well, both!
And Elder Freddy Boey has clearly given the analogy of running in the Olympics to show how we are to live as Christians and as children of God:
Just as it is by invitation to join the Olympics, so are we also invited into God's family by His grace.
Just as it runners represent not themselves in the Olympics but their countries, so are we to represent God in the race, knowing His identity and reflecting it.
Just as the runners having to keep their eyes on the prize, so are we to run the race with faith, fixing our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2), to run the good race, in a way to win the prize (1 Cor 9:24) and receive the crown of righteousness (2 Tim 4:7-8).
Elder Freddy Boey has further mentioned that faith is the way of the church. It is the way of life for Christians.
How Do We Keep the Faith? There are giants that keeps faith away from us, just as the giants has kept the Israelite from possessing the promised land from God and they had been sidelined for close to 40 years, wandering in the wilderness. In the same way, there are giants which would keep faith away from us e.g. fear, wrong teachings, persecution, losing focus and being swallowed up by the world and/or succumbing to our sinful nature etc. What are some of the "giants" in your life which is keeping you from being faithful?
In keeping the faith, different of you have shared how you have kept the faith. For me, it was the promise which I had received from God and subsequently being affirmed through His Word (1 Chronicles 12 and Zechariah 2) when I was doing cell planning. For some, it is in keeping with Godly counsel while for some, it is prayer and for some, it is the Word of the Lord which has encouraged you in your darkest moments and in trials. From Psalm 23, 1 Cor 15:58, 2 Tim 2:4-7, Matt 6:5-7, Matt 6:25-34, Matt 14:25-33 and to Psalm 46:10, all these verses spoke to different ones of you during difficult times. Remember how the Lord has brought you out of the pits. Finally for some, it is a strong conviction in your life that God is always with us and will deliver us. Just as in Matthew 14:33, the people in the boat saw what Jesus did and came to worship God when they came to realise truly He is the son of God. So we need to first know who our God is and trust that His ways are not our ways (Isa 55:8) and that He knows best and is almighty to save.
So at the end of the day, we start the race and will end the race with faith, but we are also reminded to run the race with faith. Both the process and the destination are important. Just as it is useless to just stay put at the starting line, knowing that the finishing line and the prize is on the other end. But unless we start running and run according to the rules, it will be a futile race... True, we have been saved by grace and we have faith in our salvation, but just as James 2:26 reminds "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead". The deeds of becoming more Christ-like and adding to our faith goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, love are equally as important.
God has been faithful to us so how will you respond in faith?
Talking about trials and storms in the previous post, here are 2 accounts of people who have been through the storms of life but yet was touched by God, which in turn blessed and inpsired many others with their songs.
Horatio Spafford went through a series of tragedies in his family but yet pulls through it all with God. In the end, both he and his wife even continued to bless many others with their hands. This is his story:
On October 8, 1871, as Horatio and his wife Anna were grieving over the death of their son, the Great Chicago Fire swept through the city. Horatio was a prominent lawyer in Chicago, and had invested heavily in the city's real estate, and the fire destroyed almost everything he owned.
Two years later, in 1873, Spafford decided his family should take a holiday somewhere in Europe, and chose England knowing that his friend D. L. Moody would be preaching there in the fall. Delayed because of business, he sent ahead of him his family: his wife Anna, and his four remaining children, daughters Tanetta, Maggie, Annie and Bessie.
On November 21, 1873, while crossing the Atlantic on the steamship Ville du Havre, their ship was struck by an iron sailing vessel and two hundred and twenty six people lost their lives, including all four of Spafford's daughters. Somehow his wife, Anna, survived. On arriving in England, she sent a telegram to Spafford beginning "Saved alone."
Spafford then himself took a ship to England, going past the place where his daughters had died. According to Bertha Spafford, a daughter born after the tragedy, the hymn was written in mid-Atlantic.
After the tragedy, the Spaffords had two more children: a son, Horatio, born in 1876, and a daughter, Bertha, born two years later. Sadly, young Horatio contracted scarlet fever and died at the age of four. Then in August 1881, the Spaffords set out for Jerusalem as a party of 13 adults and 3 children and set up the American Colony.
Moved by a series of profound tragic losses, Chicago natives Anna and Horatio Spafford led a small American contingent in 1881 to Jerusalem to form a Christian utopian society known as the "American Colony." Colony members, later joined by Swedish Christians, engaged in philanthropic work amongst the people of Jerusalem regardless of their religious affiliation and without proselytizing motives--thereby gaining the trust of the local Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities. During and immediately after World War I, the American Colony played a critical role in supporting these communities through the great suffering and deprivations of the eastern front by running soup kitchens, hospitals, orphanages and other charitable ventures.
Spafford died on October 16, 1888, of malaria, and was buried there in Jerusalem.
It Is Well with My Soul
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul.
(Refrain:) It is well (it is well), with my soul (with my soul), It is well, it is well with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, Let this blest assurance control, That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate, And hath shed His own blood for my soul. (Refrain)
My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought! My sin, not in part but the whole, Is nailed to His cross, and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! (Refrain)
For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live: If Jordan above me shall roll, No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul. (Refrain)
And Lord haste the day, when my faith shall be sight, The clouds be rolled back as a scroll; The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, Even so, it is well with my soul. (Refrain)
You might not be familiar with John Newton but he wrote one of the songs we are all familiar with, Amazing Grace. John's account is one where God used a storm to begin to bring him back to him. Through the storm, John recognised that he could only rely on God and later worked with William Wilberforce towards the abolition of slave trade in the British Empire. This is his story:
Religious Conversion Sailing back to England in 1748 aboard the slave-ship Greyhound on the Atlantic triangle trade route, the ship encountered a severe storm and almost sank. Newton awoke in the middle of the night and prayed to God as the ship filled with water. It was this experience which he later marked as the beginnings of his conversion to evangelical Christianity. As the ship sailed home, Newton began to read the Bible and other religious literature. By the time he reached Britain, he had accepted the doctrines of Christianity. The date was March 10, 1748, an anniversary he marked for the rest of his life. From that point on, he avoided profanity, gambling, and drinking, although he continued to work in the slave trade. He later said that his true conversion did not happen until some time later: "I cannot consider myself to have been a believer in the full sense of the word, until a considerable time afterwards."
Newton returned to Liverpool, England and, partly due to the influence of Joseph Manestay, a friend of his father’s, obtained a position as first mate aboard a slave trading vessel, the Brownlow, bound for the West Indies via the coast of Guinea. During the first leg of this voyage, while in west Africa (1748-49), Newton acknowledged the inadequacy of his spiritual life. While he was sick with a fever, he professed his full belief in Christ. He later said that this experience was his true conversion and the turning point in his spiritual life. He claimed it was the first time he felt totally at peace with God.
Still, he did not renounce the slave trade until later in his life (when he wrote a tract decrying it in aid of abolitionist William Wilberforce). After his return to England in 1750, he made three further voyages as captain of the slave-trading ships Duke of Argyle (1750) and the African (1752-53 and 1753-54). He only gave up seafaring and his slave-trading activities in 1754, after a serious illness.
Anglican priest In 1755 Newton became tide surveyor of the port of Liverpool, again through the influence of Manestay and, in his spare time, was able to study Greek, Hebrew, and Syriac. He became well-known as an evangelical lay minister, and applied for the Anglican priesthood in 1757, although it was more than seven years before he was eventually accepted and ordained into the Church of England. Such had been his frustration during this period of rejection that he had sought also to apply to the Methodists, Independents and Presbyterians, as well as directly to the Bishops of Chester and Lincoln and the Archbishops of Canterbury and York.
Eventually, in 1764, he was introduced by Thomas Haweis to Lord Dartmouth, who was influential in recommending Newton to the Bishop of Chester, and who had suggested him for the living of Olney, Buckinghamshire. On 29 April 1764 Newton received deacon’s orders, and finally became a priest on 17 June.
As curate of Olney, Newton was partly sponsored by the evangelical philanthropist John Thornton, who supplemented his stipend of £60 a year with £200 a year "for hospitality and to help the poor". He soon became well-known for his pastoral care, as much as for his beliefs, and his friendship with dissenters and evangelical clergy caused him to be respected by Anglicans and non-conformists alike. He was to spend sixteen years at Olney, during which time so popular was his preaching that the church had a gallery added to accommodate the large numbers who flocked to hear him.
Some five years later, in 1772, Thomas Scott, later to become a biblical commentator and co-founder of the Church Missionary Society, took up the curacy of the neighbouring parishes of Stoke Goldington and Weston Underwood. Newton was instrumental in converting Scott from a cynical 'career priest' to a true believer, a conversion Scott related in his spiritual autobiography The Force Of Truth (1779).
In 1779 Newton was invited by the wealthy Christian merchant John Thornton to become Rector of St Mary Woolnoth, Lombard Street, London, where he officiated until his death. The church had been built by Nicholas Hawksmoor in 1727 in the fashionable Baroque style. Newton then became one of only two evangelical preachers in the capital, and he soon found himself gaining in popularity amongst the growing evangelical party. He was a strong supporter of evangelicalism in the Church of England, and was a friend of the dissenting clergy as well as of the ministry of his own church.
Many young churchmen and others enquiring about their faith visited him and sought his advice, including such well-known social figures as the writer and philanthropist Hannah More and the young M.P., William Wilberforce, who had recently undergone a crisis of conscience and religious conversion experience as he was contemplating leaving politics.
Abolitionist John Newton has been called hypocritical by some modern writers for continuing to participate in the slave trade while holding strong Christian convictions. However, during his early years as a slave trader he did not consider himself to be a true Christian: 'I was greatly deficient in many respects...I cannot consider myself to have been a believer in the full sense of the word, until a considerable time later."
It is true, after what he felt was his true conversion to Christianity, he continued working the slave routes for a few years, but he eventually came to repent. He later joined William Wilberforce in the campaign for abolition. In 1787 he wrote a tract supporting the campaign, Thoughts Upon the African Slave Trade.
Among his greatest contributions to history was encouraging William Wilberforce, a Member of Parliament for Hull, to stay in Parliament and "serve God where he was", rather than enter the ministry. Wilberforce heeded the ex-slaveship captain's advice, and spent the next twenty years successfully working for the abolition of the slave trade in the British Empire.
"Amazing Grace"
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound That sav’d a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, Was blind, but now I see.
’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, And grace my fears reliev’d; How precious did that grace appear, The hour I first believ’d!
Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; ’Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promis’d good to me, His word my hope secures; He will my shield and portion be, As long as life endures.
Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail, And mortal life shall cease; I shall possess, within the veil, A life of joy and peace.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow, The sun forbear to shine; But God, who call’d me here below, Will be forever mine.
