21 Mar 2008

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what is baptism
my baptism falls on good friday

been waiting, and wondering when You'd let me do this.. thank you God!

prayer changes things

many might dismiss them as coincidences, but i've experienced it too many times (and recently, on 3 occassions in a day) to know that they are not.

just yesterday,

as i left for work last morning, i'd remember taking my little orange pouch which carried my cards, which i needed to use daily - ezlink, credit cards, atm cards, membership card, some cash and company access card. (i also remember thinking about God while waiting for the bus and catching myself smiling, as God put nice, happy thoughts in my mind) but as i was boarding the bus, and looking for my ezlink card, i realized that my orange pouch was missing.. i boarded the bus anyway, paying by cash so that i wouldn't be late for work.

i called my mom from the bus and asked her to help look for the pouch. she looked all over the house many times and even went down to the bus-stop, but couldn't find it. as a last resort, i asked my niece to help. she is also a child of God :) she is just 5 yrs old. i gave her specific places to search. she was really sweet and handled the phone as if it i would be hurt if she wasn't careful with the receiver.. saying, i'm now going to put you on the table okay? i can just visualize her putting it down with care before she went to look :) after trying in vain at the foyer seats, living room sofa, bedroom chest, and washer at kitchen, i asked her to help pray for me.. and she started singing! "Jesus loves me this i know.." i was touched and amused and captivated all at once by her spontaneous worship. and while into her second verse, she asked me aren't you going to hang up? lol

so i hanged up with a big smile, and also prayed to God to help my niece. i felt joyful and peaceful even though i had lost all my "important" cards and was already thinking about the follow up actions that i had to take if it's really gone, (i'd have to report lost cards to the banks and police asap, as required for my office access card)

just a while later, before i even reached my office, my niece called back.. saying that they had found my pouch!! thank God

prayer changes things

at work, i met this reader, he was a retiree and he asked me about a publication that would be useful in his research for investment, and i tried to help him, he started sharing with me the logic and importance of investment due to the inflation and rising prices of everything and having to plan for old age, and gave me kind advices to start planning now. the converstaion turned into an unusaully long one, and i though i had better go back to the counter in case other readers needed help. as i made my way back to the counter, he walked along, carrying on about the topic. the conversation at the counter turned into an unsually long one as well. i even had time to pray to God to use me, and guide me in what i should say, as i felt God must have allowed this unusual incident to happen for a reason. when he mentioned unaffordable rising medical expenses, i knew i had to share my recent testimony about the healing of my knee by God, and i did. God healed my knee when doctors couldn't figure out why it became swollen all of a sudden for no apparent reason and i couldn't walk. they had even done tests, x-rays and given me painkillers (which i refused to take as i didn't want to numb my senses) the many bottles of fluids they drew out to lessen the swelling came back almost instantly just the day after. i also shared that i find my peace and joy in God despite the apparently scary and bleak future for many due to the horror of inflation. as i know God will provide. i noticed a visible change come over his face as i shared. i know he has been touched by God deep inside. i saw the worry disppear from his face and in place i saw an expression of peace. he looked so different i knew something has changed in him. God must be working in him. i even invited him to church (strangely i didn't invite him to coos, but invited him to the church that my friend invited me to go to on 8 Mar Sat (tdy) to witness the testimony by an indonesian pastor at www.livingspring.org he patiently waited for me to retreive the address from the website and listened intently as i shared briefly about the pastor's testimony. he commented that it was good to have a belief :) i know God planned for this to happen and will bring him to Christ! thank God

prayer changes things

last night, i was awakened from my sleep by my mother's nightmare. i tried to shake her to wake her, but in vain. and i did shake her quite forcefully, as i was desperate to wake her, but this time was unlike the other times as she usually would come to quite easily. this time, she even kicked in her sleep and her fearful screams were so prolonged, i would have freaked out if i didn't know God. i started praying and as i prayed, i went on to freely worship God (something i learnt at worship training, to create a new song for God) and tears started flowing, i knew God was with me. i prayed for God to be with my mother and to help her and to protect her, and i kept praying and praying even though i was very tired as it happened in the middle of the night. then i saw peace come over my mom, she stopped kicking, and the fear and tightness in her body disppeared and although she didn't really wake up, i knew she was alright and whatever was disturbing her sleep no longer did so. that night, i awoke now and then to check and confirmed that her sleep was peaceful for the rest of the night. thank God!

coincidentally just a day ago, i had handed a little card to my niece, a gift that a friend of mine wanted her to have. it reads "prayer changes things"

this message now rings in my head. thank you God

God hears our thoughts and answers our prayers

been bogged down lately with thoughts abt my father (baby christian) "backsliding" as he didn't seem (to me) keen on attending cell group nor church service (if i didn't accompany him)

i accompanied him to the chinese service last sunday on 24th. he fell asleep during service and kept asking to leave during the altar call prayers, in the end he left first to eat fishball noodles while i stayed on pray.

when the pastor was done praying for everyone, he asked if there was anyone else who needed prayers, and i went out (for my knees were swollen for no apparent reason and i needed healing before nepal mission trip), waited quite a while and almost wanted to leave, but didn't, thank God.

when the pastor asked me what i wanted pray for, i followed my heart and answered that i wanted to pray for my father - he had seemed reluctant in attending cell group and baptism class, and lately even church service, although he had only recently acepted Christ. as the pastor prayed, i was so touched by God's love that i wept and wept. it feels amazing to be loved by God. i wish everyone would come to know God and experience His amazing love personally.

after the prayers, thanks to the pastor who prayed for me, i got in touch with the cell group leader whose home was viewed by my father to be the most conveniently located. on several occasions since, i overheard phone conversation of my father giving many excuses and rejecting invites to attend cell group.

the following sunday (yesterday), i couldn't accompany my father to chinese service as i had to work. i thought he wouldn't go on his and felt sad when i thought about him not going when i don't accompany him. i love going to church to be in fellowship and to worship God, and knows it is what God wants us to do. God never fails to recharge me spiritually and fill me so fully with of His love every Sunday at church

when i returned home on sunday night, my negative assumption about my father led me to shun him in disappointment.

this morning when i woke, i was elated when my father told me that he attended service yeaterday on his own! and he even met his friend who stayed in the neighbouring block at church! i can't thank God enough for bringing my father to church again. and sending him a friend to encourage him along the way! Thank You God!!