2008年11月19日星期三

Care & Share 2008

When God calls... God indeed provide.

For the 1st time, I was asked to be the Regional Coordinator for the event.

Would have turn down the "offer" if not for the overwhelming peace that filled my heart.

I started off not knowing where to start but God provided
1. An advisor who went through the "whole process" of planning with me.
2. Committee members who are placed in the right role. Who were my "brains" - help me think through and work through
3. Idea - to enthrone Him before the start of the event. that we will not think it is our own effort but we need to depend on Him
A "levite" was there to lead the way(worship)
An "priest"(intercessor) to pray for the event.
4. 306 elderlies to attend

Looking back, I am thankful to God for
1. His Faithfulness
2. the opportunity to work with people I do not know and now I know
3. being able to labour together with good friends.
4. Healing - 1st time I recovered so fast from migraine
5. pastor who dares to take the risk. imagine putting a "big project" into the hands of someone who knows nothing about it and letting me work with my friends who may come up with "strangest" idea on earth. I wonder if he was praying "real hard" everyday. ; p
6. seeds of the Gospel that were sowed in the hearts of the elderly.

Thank God.

Decision leads to Consequences

I never knew that it was because of a decision that Abraham made led that to serious consequences until a few weeks back when i heard pastor preached over the pulpit.

In Gen 12, the Lord spoke to Abraham to leave his country to go to Canaan. But in v 10-20, it was said that "10 At that time a severe famine struck the land of Canaan, forcing Abram to go down to Egypt, where he lived as a foreigner.11 As he was approaching the border of Egypt, Abram said to his wife, Sarai, “Look, you are a very beautiful woman. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife. Let’s kill him; then we can have her!’ 13 So please tell them you are my sister. Then they will spare my life and treat me well because of their interest in you.”
14 And sure enough, when Abram arrived in Egypt, everyone spoke of Sarai’s beauty. 15 When the palace officials saw her, they sang her praises to Pharaoh, their king, and Sarai was taken into his palace. 16 Then Pharaoh gave Abram many gifts because of her—sheep, goats, cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.

17 But the Lord sent terrible plagues upon Pharaoh and his household because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram and accused him sharply. “What have you done to me?” he demanded. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ and allow me to take her as my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and get out of here!” 20 Pharaoh ordered some of his men to escort them, and he sent Abram out of the country, along with his wife and all his possessions."

Abraham went to Egypt without consulting God and though Abraham left Egypt, Egypt never left him. He had female servants from Eqypt with him and surely one of them was Hagar(Gen 16:3 - So Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian servant and gave her to Abram as a wife.) who later gave birth to Ishmael( Gen 16 - 12 This son of yours will be a wild man, as untamed as a wild donkey! He will raise his fist against everyone, and everyone will be against him. Yes, he will live in open hostility against all his relatives.”).
Subsequently, there was conflict between Lot & Abraham's people and they were separated and then Lot & family got into trouble(refer Gen 13-14).
And I wonder if the "same lie" that Isaac told Abimelech was also the consequences of what Abraham has "decided"(Gen 26 : 7 When the men who lived there asked Isaac about his wife, Rebekah, he said, “She is my sister.” He was afraid to say, “She is my wife.” He thought, “They will kill me to get her, because she is so beautiful.” ).

Hmmm...never knew 1 seemingly harmless decision can have impact on generations to come. Lord help me to make wise godly decision.