The Power of His Resurrection

Introductory note:

This article is based on my own personal experiences as I went into the interior of Borneo preaching the Gospel and making disciples for the Lord Jesus Christ. This article is a combination of my earlier postings in another blogsite of mine at http://aetospen.blogspot.com

THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION

I had doubts. "Is this of God?Am I being not being driven by ministry and not by the Master? Isn't family came first?Abby is having a Chess competition on Saturday...It would be a moral boost for her if I can send her. Am I in the perfect will of God?"

Those were the thoughts running through my mind as I consider the request to teach in a short-term Bible School(26-30th July,2006) in one of our local churches in the interior, 5 hours drive from Kota Kinabalu. God's calling "to feed His sheep" helped in my decision making.

As a brother drives me to the preaching and teaching point, Brother Andrew (God's Smuggler) came to mind. He went deep into into Communist-Europe to deliver Bibles after relating his love to a girl. He felt a growing pain as he travel futher away from her. I felt similar pain as I travel away from my family. Funny, the trip was not my first, yet the pain is so much stronger now than before...By the way, have you read God's Smuggler by Brother Andrew? It was the second Christian book I read after "The Fight" by John White when I was 19.

I embarked from the newly bought Toyota Commonrail looking at the repainted church building, "spiritual-scanning" the area and atmosphere at the same time. Scanning result: No hostility on the ground and in the air. So far so good. I took a deep breath and walked toward the church.

A messy and busy looking church elder came running to greet me. His smiley face and warmth handshake enough to make me felt welcome. He was obviously busy preparing for the Short Term Bible School. Some ladies were trying to put together some alphabets to come up with my name for the backdrop. I felt a sudden chill all over my body. I felt scared. So a quick whisper prayer "O Lord, its not me, but You". God's donkey. That's what I am. He is such an awesome and most holy God and we will do ourselves good if we be careful to walk in humility before Him.
Wednesday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thusday, Friday and Sarturday. 4 days. This better be right. I always wanted to be a man in His time and place doing His work.

Promising to pick me up on Sunday, Bro Laurie drove back to Kota Kinabalu. Great, no hand phone coverage, no radio, no newspapers... I was cut off from the 21st century world. "He sure has a good reason for sending me into this kampong..." He came to serve and not to be served. In that spirit I asked " What is it that You sent me here for, Lord?"

Why am I here, Lord? What exactly do You want me to do?" I walked back and forth in the tiny wooden house that was going to be "home" for the next 5 days..I sat down and waited for the still small voice that I have grown to be familiar with over the years..I was seated and calm. Surrendered.Waiting.Believing. Anticipating. Then these promptings came from deep within:

1. You are here because they are people here that need to hear the Gospel and be saved.
2. You are because they are many discouraged saints in this place, they need encouragement.
3. You are here because they needed teaching, guidance and spiritual impartation.
4. You are here to encourage this church to continue fighting the good fight of the faith..

(Read Isaiah 30:21; Jeremiah 29:13,33:3; John 10:1-10)

26th July 2006 8.00 pm
First service. I always enjoy worship services in the kampongs. They dont have the luxury of an overhead projector, but their worship was right from their hearts. Such freedom. Non mechanical.

Power failure start to show when I was to take the pulpit for my introductory note. "What is this?" Surely we cant blame everything to the Devil, can we? But who knows the Devil had sent his lazy spirits to make the people responsible to feel lazy not to check on the generator? Whatever it was, for me its a matter of having a proper check lists on things need to get done prior a short term Bible school such as this.. Thank God, I managed to keep my cool... "Relax bro..your part is only to teach and preach.. Let go of the rest..." I kept saying that to myself. Yes, let go and let God.
So I gave my introductory note and called it a nite. Feeling a little empty owing to the lack of response from the floor..no facial expressions, just silent stares at me. I would prefer a hostile audience than a cold and rigid congregation! Did I project myself wrongly somewhere? Was it something that I say? "O Lord... " was the only utterance I could muster under my discouragement...
But God is good la.. He sent a young man, Sairin (16) to give me company. He was the most lively person in the meeting we just had. And he surely can talk! I saw a great hunger in him. Only a 7 months Christian, he had finished reading the New Testament and during our time together, he was already in Proverbs for Old Testament reading. How long have you been a Christian?Where are you in your reading of the scriptures? I am in Deuteronomy 32...and that passage gives me a new light to the current Israel-Hizbollah conflict... but (hehehe) lets not get side-tracked, shall we?
I was saying Sairin is a man of great potential. He has the making of an evangelist. Praying and interceding with him was a 'holy ground' exprience for both of us. Sairin remind me of myself when I just got saved 22 years ago..
I found myself praying silently "Lord, if I am here just to meet up and encourage this young man, its worth it.." God is good..He knows what he is doing..He is in control.

Do you know what joy is? J (Jesus) O (others) and Y (you). Real joy is seeing, sharing and experiencing the life of Jesus with other people...
What say you? It can be ours to experince when we all of us can learn to let go and let God...

Paul the apostle wrote to the Corinthians,"We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of of the power may be of Godand not of us. "(2 Corinthians 4:7)This verse summarizes my experience throughout the short-term Bible school school. He had enabled me to minister in His love, wisdom and power. Through me, God ...1. Brought an addition of 10 souls into His Kingdom,2. Baptized 24 new believers,3. Healed a baby from fever,4. Restored a marriage (thank God for His teaching through Ancient Path and MarriageMinistry International)5. Delivered a young lady from the spirit of fear.6. Delivered a mother from the worship to Gimbaran (a Dusun deity of protection and healing,a subordinate to the Creator-God Kinorohigan)7. Strengthened a former Ishmaelites couple into the faith and8. Reconciled leaders and deliver them from conflicts...In one of the evening worship services (28th July) the presence of the Lord was so real that I said to myself "..if my friends in the city are with me now, they will frequent the interior of Sabah!" No music practices but the praise and worship took flight beautifully...I feel sorry for all the many music practices and efforts to create "God's presence" ? But I salute all my friends that are laboring in the praise and worship team.. Your faithfulness in your fort will not be in vain, friends. Just be faithful in our respective "postings".As I looked back, I give all the glory all the credits unto Him who is faithful to His Word. He is truly at work everywhere. One of the prophets say, "the [revelation] knowledge of the Lord covers the whole earth as the water as the waters covers the sea" (Habakkuk 2:14)

30 July 2006

Everybody was smiling. I was most happy. I had stood and delivered. What a release and relief. "Not bad at all, 10 salvations, 24 baptism, good teachings, warm sessions, people wanting for more...Jesus, I love You!" are the the silent words almost singing out from my heart as I step down from the pulpit....I thought the service has ended..when someone asked to say a few words.. and this is what he had to say"On the night of 28th, I had a dream. In my dream I saw a great light came down fromthe sky and hovers above the roof of our church in which we are gathered to learn fromthe Bible. And I saw a great multitude praising and worshipping the Lord. As I lookedcarefully I noticed that the praise and worship were led by Ishmaelites. How ccan it be?I asked someone beside me. That person answered. This is what going to happen in thenear future. Many from that group will come to faith and will lead the praise andworship...."Interesting dont you think so? And there was more..."After that, in my dream, after this school had ended I saw that the light slowly ascendfrom here and went further away from us... Pastor, will you help to explain what is themeaning of my dream?"I sprung into action. I superspeed to the pulpit like Clark Kent of Smallville. Hehehe"The meaning of that dream is plain and simple. On the night of 28th I testified about how the Lord confirmed His calling on my life with a great light from heaven. And the fact about the Ishmaelites coming over is already demonstreted in your midst. Look at this young couple. Who were they before? And where are they now? Are they not already leading us in praise and worship? And the departing light that he saw in that dream in the light of God's glory in Ezekiel 10. The glory of the Lord was about to leave the Temple and His people because they continued in their sinful lifestyle. Now if you dont want God to leave you, come and pray repentance here around the pulpit!" I sounded like Elijah then.With that people came rushing to the pulpit to pray repentance. .....Was the famous saying about a picture? A picture is worth thousand of words..am I correct? Someone had a digital camera so I thought maybe God wants you to see for yourselves...You wanna see more? Give me your email in the comment below and I will invite you to my yahoo album..So friends, thank you for your many prayers for me (and family) in the ministry He had called me into...
To Him alone be all the glory and praises..!!