We covered 4 areas in total, Kuala Kangsar, Parit Buntar, Nibong Tebal and Bagan Serai. Seriously I have no idea how to start but I feel so so thoroughly blessed by this trip!
At the beginning of the journey, our prayer team leader shared her sensing and belief to us that revival IS going to take place in Malaysia! In order for revival to take place, the church has to be ready! And for that to happen, we have to make sacrifices eg. leaving our comfort zones, giving up our usual weekends spent with loved ones, hanging out in shopping malls, expensive dinners or just simply lazing at home.
We had about 12 of us in the team. "12 discliples" of Jesus! =P
Jo and I were in the same car with one very awesome couple that I used to notice from time to time in Tuesday nights prayer meetings. Ramesh is one amazing worship leader! I've always noticed how I enjoyed his spontaneity and sensitivity in leading the PnW session just alone with the guitar. Denise is just such a sweet beautiful lady with a gentle spirit and constantly prayerful. And guess what, Ramesh is indian and Denise is chinese! Talk about really living out the 1Malaysia 'muhibbah' -ness of our country!
When we started our drive, we were focused and prayed throughout the journey along the North-South Highway. We prayed for the simplest things like breaking the spirit of deaths, accidents on the highway, drivers to be alert and careful... etc
Oh yes, we also kept our missions team who went over to Sabah in prayer as well! I believe it is timely indeed that our church is sending out people in this season as I believe very much that through this season of fasting and praying for the nation, I sense that this is a season of awakening, that churches should not be content in keeping our faith contained within the four walls of our church buildings. Now God is indeed urging us to extend our faith beyond our boundaries of our city and nation.
We arrived safely at the church at about 4pm. We arrived at a small church among one the shoplots.
We were greeted by the Pastor and one of their elders. We gathered in the church to have a short briefing before we set off to drive around town of Parit Buntar. A church elder (He's Sarawakian, btw!! HURRAH to East Malaysians!) prepared a map for all of us before we set off. Check out his cool map! 7-pager "14 stop" map! I totally admire his admin skills!
Pastor was so grateful for our visit because he believed we were divinely sent there, in the perfect timing of God. He's been receiving several visions that this church is going to be used by God, they've been praying for an expansion in the church.
In the prayer service, Ramesh, Denise, Jo and I served as a team in worship. There was indeed a very sweet presence of GOD in this small church within the shoplots of PB.
Pastor mentioned that during the time of worship he could sense a strong presence sweeping through the sanctuary. He had wanted his congregation to rise up to this level of worship & prayer which ushered in the presence of God. He was thankful that we were there to give his people a demonstration of the kind of worship & prayer+ releasing the word of God which was hard for him to describe to his congregation. He told his congregation that our worship & prayer was a model for his church to follow.
Our team preparing for Worship session led by Ramesh... When I was in the church elder's car with his kids, he mentioned something really interesting about PB. It is actually located around 3 state borders, Kedah, Penang and Perak! Indeed this place is one very divine ground and is in need of prayers for God's presence to dwell in this place as it is in the centre of the northern region within 3 states!I believe within my heart that this small congregation can be used mightily by God. As His people rise up in faith and step out as a team, they too could come together as a team to effectively transform their community. (The vision of this church, emblazoned on their church wall is to “BLESS AND TRANSFORM OUR COMMUNITY WITH CHRIST’S LOVE ).
Prayer for this church:
They do not actually have a visible banner or signboard that displays the church name. They have tried applying through the council but it was rejected.
It is also the church's desire to expand and they have been praying for one particular building within the Nibong Tebal area. They would like to reach out to the local university students which is also near that area.
During our prayer drive, we went to the building location and laid hands on the building walls to believe and claim that place for God. We also prayed for the releasing of provision in finances to obtain the building. Before we left the church, we blessed them with a small token of faith gift as a sign of its first seed of sowing into its building fund. They mentioned that by faith, when they expand, they will invite us back for the opening of the new church location! I am so totally waiting for this DAY! It shall come to past in Jesus' name!!!
The humble and thriving church in Parit Buntar!! Next day, we went on to visit 3 anglican churches within the areas of Nibong Tebal and Bagan Serai under Canon Charles. Canon Charles overseas 5 churches in that region. All three services that we attended were in Tamil.
The first church we stopped by was in St Andrew's Anglican Church.
This is my first time setting foot into a Tamil service. During the time of worship, we all sang in Tamil. Although I didn't know what I was singing and I was just reading out from the literal pronunciation from the little green hymn book, I thoroughly enjoyed myself especially during the time of Praise, as you can imagine, Tamil songs ARE catchy and I just couldn't help it but started dancing around with my feet. Of course, Joanne was already doing her own Indian dance! LOLOL... Truly, It's just so so so so... amazing and it just blows my mind to hear God being worshipped and praised in another language! It is really not about the language, but it's all about God. Couldn't help but really imagine and dream that one day, every knee will bow and confess that JESUS CHRIST is LORD! In ALL languages irregardless of colours and location!
Me! Worshipping God in Tamil! =D Our dear brother Ramesh, shared a message from the passage in 1 Samuel 17:34. His message was about whether we as God children, do we see God's faithfulness, or do we focus on our "Goliaths"? Canon Charles did quick summary of Ramesh's message and he said this is indeed a very timely message to the church and the analogy that he used to share the message was really something that they have never heard before.
We had to quickly rush off as Canon Charles had to preach in another church. Next stop, we went to the Holy Trinity of Nibong Tebal. God certainly visited that church that morning! i believe through the message heard at the previous church, something really stirred Canon Charles' heart.With that, he offered to sing us a song, and as he broke into singing accompanying himself on the guitar, he definitely was experiencing a personal revival that morning. I can’t remember the words of his song, but it was really amazing and I was so so blessed to just enjoy the song of worship.
Canon Charles experiencing a personal revival...
It was also a timely visit for this little Nibong Tebal church because we were informed that the very next day, they would be beginning renovations as the building was too old & shabby.
During the end of the service, one lady actually came up to us to ask to pray for her salvation! She was deeply moved by the message that Sister Sharon shared during the service as she was sharing about the Lord's prayer. As we prayed for her salvation, tears just rolled down her face. She was totally filled with God's spirit and she went down the ground. Before we had to rush off to the next church, I took out one of the worship CDs I brought along for listening. I gave it to her as a gift as I sensed very much so that she's in a lot of pain and is in need of a lot of healing. I followed up on her via SMS after the trip and she mentioned vaguely to me about what happened in her life (she had to leave her home because her family is against her new belief in God) and she has been listening to the CD non-stop for the whole day and she could sense God's love overwhelming her. Indeed God is a gracious and loving God to his children and let's keep praying those who are persecuted for their faith!
Next stop we went to St Peter's Church in Bagan Serai. This is probably one of the newer churches as it was actually built within a housing area - a house converted to a church. The congregation here is much bigger with a mixture of people of the old and new generation. I was personally very excited to see a large number of youths in that church. We were going to just drop by the church at go straight for prayer drive around the town, however, Jo and I decided to stay back to join the service.
After the service, we were offered to join them for lunch which was prepared by one of their church members. We had the opportunity to fellowship with the church members. Canon Charles had some personal time with the rest of our team. Jo and I sat with their 16 year old youth leader, Sharon. She's such a sweet beautiful girl. She shared with us about her ambitions in life. She desired to be either an Air Stewardness or a Policewoman. Jo, of course, had the opportunity to share with her about her experience as an ex-air stewardess. She asked us for advice about her career path. I mentioned to her that she has the heart to serve people. noticing from the choices she picked for a career path. She admitted that she loves serving people. With that, I somehow had a thought and shared a sensing that she will be a good nurse. Maybe she should consider that. Through this career, she can use this skill to touch and serve many lives and bring glory to our Father. I could see that her heart was lightened up and she shared with us that recently her teacher suggested to her that she should be a nurse too! Wow... could be a confirmation.. hehe.
Anyway, Jo and I met up with the youths after lunch and had a short time of sharing and fun with them. They were initially very shy so we started off with an ice breaker, "blow-wind-blow". We sure did have fun! After that, Jo gave a short impartation to encourage the youths. She shared about how the youths in churches with in this region should rise up together to reach out. Eg. through organising community events etc. I can sense so much in my heart that these youths are very capable and are very hungry for God's word! Whenever Jo quoted a scripture or shared something related to the bible, some of them would quote it out together. They were so so so attentive to us when we shared our hearts out to them. I believe that they are so able, if only someone would guide them! I really hope that one day soon, we can go back there to reach out and build the youths!
St Peter's Church @ Bagan Serai
Canon Charles introducing the prayer team to the church
And yes, that was our last stop for the trip. =))
I just really wanna say that I am so so so thoroughly blessed by the experience throughout the prayer drive. Just to share the truth, I was initially very reluctant to go for the trip due to my heavy workload at work. I remember during the prayer meeting the week before, I did not stand up to receive prayer when Pastor called to pray for those going for prayer drive.
Throughout the week as I was doing my devotion, this verse kept showing in my mind...
"Awake, you who sleep,
And Christ will give you light"
- Ephesians 5:14
I also read the book "God Chasers" by Tommy Tenney, something really caught my attention, he said this:
"A word of the Lord has come to me about "old wells" that applies directly to cities as well as to older mainline denominations and churches. God is going to redig or uncap the old wells first, before the newer artisan wells break open . Genesis 26 tells us that Isaac had his men redig the wells that his father, Abraham had originally dug many years before in the Valley of Gerar. Although his father's enemies had filled in the wells after Abraham's death, Isaac still called them by their original names. He found so much water there that he constantly battled with Philistine raiders and finally moved to Beersheba, or 'the well of oath'. It was here that Jacob encountered the living God and discovered his true birthright in God's plan."
I felt so gripped in the spirit and I know that God's really telling me something.
That really got me thinking. Before bringing in new wells, He will be revisiting the old ones.. He will probably visit the historical places of revivals again. And of course, remembering that Malaysia has encountered 2 revivals within a short span of 53 years, I would like to believe that our country is within His 'itinerary' of visitation. Revival will take place in our nation. But firstly, how ready are we? Are the churches willing to make room and time to prepare their hearts so that God can lead us on further? Every revival grew out from prayer meetings: Wales, Azusa Street, Bario, Wesleyan England, Argentina, etc. If this is true then we should continue to pray unceasingly. I really believe that it is by no coincidence that God has called the prayer drive team to visit the older Anglican churches in Parit Buntar, Bagan Serai and Nibong Tebal, which have been around since the early 1900s. Also, timely that our church sent a team to Sabah to serve the churches in the interior (WELL DONE, Yew Teck and Colin!)
I sense that God has brought us to redig the old wells... to revive the churches who needs a spiritual push and encouragement to WAKE UP.
For a moment there, I felt so caught up and jaded about work. I don't know if you ever felt it before, I felt like as though I didn't know where I misplaced my sense of purpose and priorities. I felt, well, spiritually DEAD.
I started to question, who is going to move and revive the churches that needs encouragement? Who is going to step out to rebuild the broken walls of these churches? Who's going to help them to be ready??? That's when I knew I had to go. That's probably why some of you noticed that I was missing from cell on the Friday before the prayer drive. I decided to stay back at work to complete as much as I could so that I could devote my weekend for this Prayer Drive.
Seriously, I have no regrets at all. I believe more should have participated! WE NEED MORE YOUNG ADULTS! When I was there at throughout the prayer drive, I felt that I could feel more of what God's heartcry is for these churches and what's really happening outside of our comfortable church walls even more! As crazy as it may sound, I felt that as though I myself, was personally "RAISED FROM THE DEAD". By just being there, not because I have done much, my presence have made a difference. If I have declared so many times that I want to be an agent of change, I should be living out what I have declared. Just being there, I was thoroughly blessed too! I felt a personal revival within myself! I felt ALIVE again!
In these 'old wells', I believe God sees more than what we can see, there's more than this, Her beauty still exists,
His bride is still alive....
Malaysia is indeed a very special land. Now do you know why God has called you here?
Avail yourself. When God calls forth labourers, be one of them.
If only you GO OUT, then you will personally experience MORE of God's miracles, heartbeat etc. You'll understand YOUR FATHER better, FOR YOUR LAND.
Go people, GO!
1 comment:
Thanks for sharing!
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