a brief glimpse

Prayer school was awesome this whole week!

It's been growing in intensity the last few weeks, focused on spending time in building a relationship with our heavenly Father, seeking His face and His ways. We had also been learning about the Holy Spirit and how He helps us in our prayers, not only showing us how and what, but strengthening and sustaining us in answer to our prayer. Romans 8:28

This last week we focused on His plans and purposes for our lives, and His passion and compassion for those who are lost. We spent time in prayer for the nations and peoples who still do not know Him, as well as for family and friends who have yet to come to Him or who have turned away from Him.

On Tuesday, after we had spent about 10 minutes interceding for those who were lost, there was just this period of 5-10 minutes after prayer that we just soaked in the presence of the Lord, quiet and sweet. The very air was thick with His glory. Refreshing...

The Lord spoke to both my husband and me, giving a brief glimpse into our next step.

reaching the remote places

We are grateful to God for favour and good fellowship with the believers in our recent trip. We heard testimonies of God’s goodness, guidance and provision for the local believers/ministry workers as they went into villages and other remote places in the different states to teach and preach and heal, just like what Jesus did when he was on earth.

One of the leaders we met shared that his team had to travel 3 days to reach a particular village in another state, including 12 hours on a bus, a boat and walking. After spending a few days there, they went on to another village, mainly by walking.

Another shared that she, together with a very young child and 2 other adults, took more than a day (24 hours) to reach her destination by train and walking. It was her and her child's first experience on the train which had only one "car" for passengers - the rest were for goods. So, the various and many passengers had to squeeze (like the Japanese on the express train, except that this car was not air-conditioned, and this was not an express train!!) in the not too large compartment, and stand for hours. Delays were common, so the journey was longer than was actually necessary. Her toddler was slightly traumatized by the proximity to strangers, and was extremely uncomfortable in the heat and motion of the train.

At each of these places, they taught the Word of God. The believers in these remote places were so hungry for the Word of God that they clamoured for more teaching and insisted on continuing in the teaching and learning of the word into the night and even into the wee hours of the morning. Though they hardly slept, the Lord strengthened the leaders for the work and ministry of the Word to these believers. They came away, even more convicted of the call of the Lord: they will be returning to the same villages and others like them to continue to establish the believers in the Word.

Let's pray that the Kingdom of God will advance into the "uttermost parts of the earth" without any hindrances and with ample provision and resources!

being part of the great commission

We had the privilege of teaching on a lifestyle of praise at a bible school (which emphasizes church planting) in late August to 80 students, pastors and church workers. The participants were hungry for the Word, and there was an increase in their understanding of who God is, and who they are in God, as they learnt about how to live a life of praise, and how to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth.

The director of the bible school later shared that the students have been praising God and that there is joy in their lives in the days following the seminar. This was very much what was needed for the students as they had previous been complaining to their leaders and pastors and to one another whenever they faced obstacles and difficulties in their lives. Now they know that the joy of the Lord is indeed their strength.

We also taught for one day at a Discipleship Training Center. There were 40 youths and young adults there. Many of them received revelation from the word of God and caught the spirit of faith as we taught almost 6 hours on the foundations of faith and how to trust God based on His promises.

We are thankful for good interpreters, who themselves were refreshed and encouraged. They shared that they learnt precious lessons even as they interpreted. It was a joy to work together with the Holy Spirit. We ourselves were refreshed by the Lord as we prepared our lessons!

My husband preached at a church on Sunday on “God is El Shaddai". He shared how God cares for us that He provides for our needs, and His provision is overflowing in abundance, just like the widow who was instructed by Elisha to borrow all the containers she could from her neightbours, and pour what little oil she had into those containers. The miracle was that the oil did not run out till every container she had was filled to the brim. She sold the oil, returned all the money owed, and she and her sons lived on the rest. God came through for her because she dared to trust in Him. She obeyed God and showed her faith when she did what the prophet Elisha told her to do, and God blessed her with a mighty miracle for her faith.

The congregation was encouraged and uplifted by God’s goodness. When he gave the altar call at the end of his sermon, 2 visitors to the church accepted Jesus Christ, and about 15 members rededicated their lives to the Lord.

Indeed we are privileged to be part of this great commission.

he was such a sweet uncle

I was requested by my dad and aunt to represent the family to share some memories of my uncle, so I prepared the following "eulogy" in memory of my uncle, and presented it last wednesday evening at the wake service.

He was such a sweet uncle with a warm personality.

When we met him during special family occasions and celebrations, he was always smiling, always encouraging, always praising the Lord, with a ready hug, and full of anecdotes from his childhood, his experiences at work and with people, and testimonies about God’s goodness and power. He was fond of reading, and at one time in his life, spent much time at the library researching subjects and topics he was interested in.

When we visited him in the hospital in the last few years of his life, he was still always smiling, sharing the gospel, and testifying to the goodness of God in his life. Even in the hospital ward, he was bringing people to the Lord. I heard that he even shared his testimony with the doctors and nurses. He loved singing and praising, praying and sharing.

Today, Uncle J is no longer here with us. The bible says that to be absent in the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Cor 5:8).

So I think of Uncle J in heaven where he is enjoying the glorious presence of God and having a joyous and wonderful reunion with all those who have gone on before us. He is surely singing and dancing in joy. He is free from physical suffering, pain, tears. He is part of the cloud of witnesses who encourage us to run our race here on earth with perseverance. This fills me with joy and peace that passes all understanding to know that he is with our Lord, and we will meet again.

One of his favourite songs (i discovered he had many favourite songs) was “Blessed Assurance”. I remember fondly that when we sang songs of praise to encourage him, especially this one in the last few months of his life as his strength was gradually decreasing, he sometimes lifted up his hands and even his voice, to sing phrases of the chorus with us.

I’d like to sing it now to praise Our Lord who has made it possible for us to meet him again one day. And even as we miss him dearly, we sorrow with hope…

Blessed assurance Jesus is mine
O what a foretaste of glory divine
Heir of salvation purchased of God
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood

This is my story This is my song
Praising my Saviour all the day long (repeat)

Perfect Submission perfect delight
Visions of rapture burst on my sight
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy whispers of love

This is his story This is his song
Praising his Saviour all the day long (repeat)

life after death

There is life after death.

My 3rd uncle just went to heaven this morning. He's in a far better place, where there's no more suffering, no more tears. Instead there is joy and peace forevermore in His presence. Praise God for eternal life through Jesus!

I believe he can meet the Lord face to face, knowing that he's done much for Him, having lived a full, obedient life unto Him, and having influenced lives for Him.

Still, there's gonna be grieving over the loss that all of us, especially his immediate family and siblings, will face. But as Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4:13, we (do not) sorrow as others who have no hope. We have hope that we will meet him again when we too cross over to eternity.

In the meantime, for those who remain, there is divine comfort and peace that the Holy Spirit gives - peace that passes all understanding.