13 June 2009

Hi, today I want to share with you how God has put in me a vision and a dream to reach out and touch lives around me.

I've always enjoy making friends with people, after becoming a Christian, I became even more sociable. I would join school camps, together with Dalbert just to get to know more people. We had fun doing it together. My friends would even comment that I am a social butterfly.

As I grew in my Christian walk, I got excited about bringing people to church so that they would get to know about the gospel and God. I knew from the bible that God loves people and he desires all people draw close to him. Therefore, I did what I could evangelize my friends around me. It gives me purpose and significance to want to know more people.

However, earlier this year, Pastor shared us stories about how Heart of God church grew and that blew my mind. One particular incident was where Pastor How began to weep and told the congregation not to backslide as it hurts the heart of God. This incident struck me deeply. I went back and began to ponder about it. It never occur to me that backsliding and leaving church hurts and grieves the heart of God. I've come to realize that every single person means a lot to God. I began to see the importance of people and souls in the heart of my God.

The words Pastor spoke lingered in my mind for days. I kept thinking about it. I told God I want to know what Pastor meant by carrying God's burden for souls, I want to know how Pastor How felt when he wept as he address the congregation. So a few days later, while I was bathing and thinking about it, a sudden gush of emotions overwhelmed me and I started tearing profusely. I've never been in a bathroom that long. Then I went to my room and prayed and sought God. In that session, God spoke to me and I came to understand God's immense love for people, He loves us so much that He doesn't want us walking down the path of destruction. He wants to guide us and teach us. And it grieves and saddens Him if we are not walking in His will.

That encounter with God that day changed my perception of evangelism. Now, I evangelize not only because its fun to do so, but because it's the core of my God's concern. I want to bring the love of God to people around me.

Recently, as some of the helpers from the children's church when out to pick up the children, a parent ask one of our helpers, "the sun is hot and you guys stay so far away, what motivates you guys to pick up the kids every single week?" Wow. It came to me that we are really appreciated. We do what we do because we love God, and love people. Our actions are the physical manifestation of God's love, but I know that whatever we do, we can't bring the full extend of God's immense love for them.

God has placed in me a dream to reach out to people around me, to impact the next generation for Him. God put in me a conviction about winning souls for Him, begin to seek God with all you have and let God speak into your life. Let's make God's concern our primarily concern.

Thank You.