Divine Encounter
Yesterday, Terence's dad's car broke down and we ended up rushing to Expo for prayer meeting in a cab :( But have you gone through days when something "bad" happens but as the train of events follows, you begin to realise that you are actually set up for something divine? Well, yesterday was one of these days for me...
We boarded a cab at Yishun and the cab driver was quite chirpy and chatty but I didn't feel like talking, just wanted to quietly enjoy my ride to Expo for the prayer meeting (wah, so holy ah!). Then the cab driver uncle asked if there's any event going on in expo, and Terence said we are going there for a prayer meeting. The smart driver quickly guessed that we are from City Harvest Church (pretty good impact we made among cab drivers ya?) He then went on to ask that we are 10,000 over strong right? We answered we are now 23,000 strong and he had an astonished look on his face! And he asked how many people are going for the prayer meeting and we told him a good few thousand of us will be there, and this time his jaw dropped..
Later we realised that this uncle is from a Chinese Methodist Church in Yishun. Their church has a vision of reaching the entire Yishun with the love of Christ and have began their work as early as the 90's. In 1994, they set up a day care centre for children providing free tuition for non-Christians in the neighbourhood, and out of this move, almost all the children in the centre received salvation with no objection from their unbelieving parents! The hearts of the parents were so open that the church members could visit the homes of the children freely and offer them prayers over their needs! But after a short 2 years, the church closed down the day care centre. Today, the children have grown up and some of them have just graduated from university. Some kept in contact with the church, some stayed but most didn't attend church anymore.
As I heard this, I am ever more stirred in my heart concerning all the community work that City Harvest is engaging overseas and locally. The work that we are doing cannot cease and should never be taken for granted because they are channels for us to be a blessing to our society, and it is the only way we can begin to reach out to more unbelievers with the love of God by meeting their needs.
Imagine the impact that this Chinese Methodist Church made when they engaged and served the community many years ago, and out of it, they experienced revival and growth not just in terms of bringing more people to God, but their own members were also filled with such passion for lost as they reached out! However, the moment they stopped being an asset to the society, the moment they stopped meeting needs, their church stopped growing and the members lost their passion. Today, hardly a few members or even leaders turned up for their church prayer meetings, that's why uncle was so amazed when he heard that thousands of us would flock to our chuch wide prayer meetings. This uncle is already in his 50's, and yet he was so hungry and kept on asking what is our key to having so many people loving to pray. At the end, he was so enthusiastic that he relunctantly let us alight and we exchanged numbers to meet again because he wanted his son to meet us concerning his ministry with the youths.
Throughout the worship during prayer meeting, my cup was just overflowing. Time and time again, the Holy Spirit reminded me that Jesus said in the word that "My House shall be called a House of Prayer". Revival begins with prayer, substained through prayer, and revival eventually grows to manifest itself in territorial influence. That's indeed how Korea grew to have 40% population who are Christians and having 8 out of 10 largest churches in that one nation! And not forgetting the social impact that Yoido Full Gospel Church had made through their hospice and medical centre etc.
I guess this is how the end-time revival would look like : Spirit-filled social entreuprenurs engaging the marketplace. We will be like the 4-faced creature bearing the face of an OX - able to abase and serve everywhere we are planted ; the face of a LION - able to abound and dare to rise up as a giant in our industries ; the face of an EAGLE - spiritual, led by the spirit, always hearing and obeying the word ; and finally the face of a MAN - totally relevant, contemporary and identified with the world.
Let us all rise up to the call of prayer and social engagement!
We boarded a cab at Yishun and the cab driver was quite chirpy and chatty but I didn't feel like talking, just wanted to quietly enjoy my ride to Expo for the prayer meeting (wah, so holy ah!). Then the cab driver uncle asked if there's any event going on in expo, and Terence said we are going there for a prayer meeting. The smart driver quickly guessed that we are from City Harvest Church (pretty good impact we made among cab drivers ya?) He then went on to ask that we are 10,000 over strong right? We answered we are now 23,000 strong and he had an astonished look on his face! And he asked how many people are going for the prayer meeting and we told him a good few thousand of us will be there, and this time his jaw dropped..
Later we realised that this uncle is from a Chinese Methodist Church in Yishun. Their church has a vision of reaching the entire Yishun with the love of Christ and have began their work as early as the 90's. In 1994, they set up a day care centre for children providing free tuition for non-Christians in the neighbourhood, and out of this move, almost all the children in the centre received salvation with no objection from their unbelieving parents! The hearts of the parents were so open that the church members could visit the homes of the children freely and offer them prayers over their needs! But after a short 2 years, the church closed down the day care centre. Today, the children have grown up and some of them have just graduated from university. Some kept in contact with the church, some stayed but most didn't attend church anymore.
As I heard this, I am ever more stirred in my heart concerning all the community work that City Harvest is engaging overseas and locally. The work that we are doing cannot cease and should never be taken for granted because they are channels for us to be a blessing to our society, and it is the only way we can begin to reach out to more unbelievers with the love of God by meeting their needs.
Imagine the impact that this Chinese Methodist Church made when they engaged and served the community many years ago, and out of it, they experienced revival and growth not just in terms of bringing more people to God, but their own members were also filled with such passion for lost as they reached out! However, the moment they stopped being an asset to the society, the moment they stopped meeting needs, their church stopped growing and the members lost their passion. Today, hardly a few members or even leaders turned up for their church prayer meetings, that's why uncle was so amazed when he heard that thousands of us would flock to our chuch wide prayer meetings. This uncle is already in his 50's, and yet he was so hungry and kept on asking what is our key to having so many people loving to pray. At the end, he was so enthusiastic that he relunctantly let us alight and we exchanged numbers to meet again because he wanted his son to meet us concerning his ministry with the youths.
Throughout the worship during prayer meeting, my cup was just overflowing. Time and time again, the Holy Spirit reminded me that Jesus said in the word that "My House shall be called a House of Prayer". Revival begins with prayer, substained through prayer, and revival eventually grows to manifest itself in territorial influence. That's indeed how Korea grew to have 40% population who are Christians and having 8 out of 10 largest churches in that one nation! And not forgetting the social impact that Yoido Full Gospel Church had made through their hospice and medical centre etc.
I guess this is how the end-time revival would look like : Spirit-filled social entreuprenurs engaging the marketplace. We will be like the 4-faced creature bearing the face of an OX - able to abase and serve everywhere we are planted ; the face of a LION - able to abound and dare to rise up as a giant in our industries ; the face of an EAGLE - spiritual, led by the spirit, always hearing and obeying the word ; and finally the face of a MAN - totally relevant, contemporary and identified with the world.
Let us all rise up to the call of prayer and social engagement!
posted by Bubbles at
1:03 PM
1 Comments:
Hey bubbles, thanks, well said. Yes, prayer is the key. Pray and work, while working, pray.
I was sharing with Janis, I realise that everything that i do in life gets strengthened when i keep praying, a constant prayer life. There were times when my prayer life wasnt constant, wasnt focus, i realise things get down slope. It happens a few times already. Really need to pray.
October 29, 2007 at 8:23 PM
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