my memories
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Well, now for the more serious side of the camp - our services!! hmm..actually they aren't really that sombre. I really like the donkey joke!! Hee Haw!! But anyway, there were 4 messages and services and altar calls in all about a JESUS REVOLUTION!Nah, we aren't gonna be troublemakers now lah..we just wanna be the christian JAE-I willing to to die for the Jesus!The first message was about what is a JESUS REVOLUTION and how to have one in your life, in 'translation' to accept Jesus Christ with all your heart, as your personal Lord and Saviour! Once you do that, you can be sure that your life will NEVER be the same again! He's gonna turn it 360 degrees upside-down!The second message was about the Holy Spirit. Before Jesus' ascension to heaven, the 12 disciples were saddened that Jesus had to leave. But Jesus told them that He was leaving so that He could send the Holy Spirit. The wonderful thing about the Holy Spirit is this: Jesus came to this earth as a human and can only be at one place at one time. The Holy Spirit on the other hand, is a spirit! The Holy Spirit will dwell in every human heart willing to receive Him!!! Wait, not only that. Once a person is filled with the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit is in Him, and around him! And it's forever! The Holy Spirit will never leave us!! Hallelujah!I felt that the second message had already started to thaw the hearts of many in JAEL. Unlike the first altar call, people were responding. Half of them were crying, kneeling or speaking in tongues, even the primary 6s were responding! During this altar call, I was one of those who went around with the tissues and ready to catch any person who would fall.But the third service will be one I'll never forget! This time, it was Pearl and me leading worship, (pearl was the worship leader, I was co- leader.) This was Pearl's first time leading worship in a service, and although I have sung in S.T.O.R.M. before, I was still a little unsure because normally Joy and Ivan will take lead of the songs. Long before the camp, Pearl and I were trying to find appropriate songs for the service. It was hard because we had absolutely no idea what Ps. Ken Teo would preach about. We only knew the general theme - Jesus Revolution. We prayed for 3 days about it. On the first day, Pearl received insight from God that the theme was faith in Him and His Love. We weren't really sure but we just agreed to continue praying. I prayed on and read my bible. At that time, I was starting on the Book of Matthew again. Amazingly, the first story that I started to read was the story of the JESUS FEEDING THE FIVE THOUSAND! I had not understood why the previous night, I had stopped just before that part but I know I just suddenly felt exceptionally groggy so I laid my bible down. Now here I was reading it and it was talking about FAITH! Not only was that the only answer to my prayer for a reassurance, the next few accounts after the feeding of the five thousand were all about FAITH!!!! Now we really knew what our theme was. One more thing was that the feeding of the five thousand seemed to stand out quite strongly among the rest of the accounts and parables.During this whole period, S.T.O.R.M's constant prayer was to be able to lead the whole of JAEL into God's presence, even more than before, building all of us into a strong army for God, reaching families, friends, community, society, country, region and even the WORLD! It's sounds a little too ambitious but with God, nothing is impossible! In fact, Pearl and I were praying fervently and continuously that we would be able to help the congregation, every single person, to go even nearer into God's presence. We even met 1/2 an hour before practice and service to ask God for help and guidance. During this time, we confronted our fears and committed everything to God, asking that our friends not look to us but to Him and Him alone.So service came, and we lead the worship. Songs? 1. I could sing of Your love forever 2. Sing (Your love) 3. To the ends of the earth 4. Free.Then as usual, Ps Ken came up to speak. But this message was one full of conviction. It talked about how many people are actually very insecure and over-sensitive because they have been hurt many a times. Because of this, these people go around and take many things to heart very easily - even the slightest things. They are very angry and hurt people yet sometimes, they are so used to it that they begin to 'enjoy' it. They don't want to let go. In the end, they hurt others, break up relationships with others and become really miserable. The message was full of jokes, but I couldn't bring myself to laugh at them at all! I felt so convicted because that was one of the main problems in my life and it was pin-pointed so accurately.In fact, I was so convicted that when the message was over and Pearl and I were supposed to go up and lead the song for altar call, I couldn't sing properly. When Ps Ken asked those who wanted to commit this problem to God to kneel, the whole JAEL sank to their knees at the same time! Pearl knew I couldn't sing out loud now and told me to join the congregation too. Thanks pearl! All I know is that I was very thankful and stumbled next to Chara. My knees just touched the floor and immediately, torrents of tears came pouring out. I cried ever so hard - almost 17 years worth of tears. I cried unto God and He heard me. His Holy Spirit began to work in me and I began to tremble again and really hard this time. Ps Andrew, Pearl and Ivan laid hands and prayed for me. When they prayed, I felt my body going limp and I cried even harder. Actually, as I cried, it seemed as though all the past painful memories and torments were pouring out of my soul. Finally, later, someone, I think it was Pearl, came to me and told me this, "God hears you" Those three words were one of the most beautiful words I had ever heard because He does! Almost immediately, I just toppled to my side and just lay there, still crying but now out of gratitude to God. When I got up later, I felt so light in the head that I nearly lost my balance. I was still shaking. I counted later, I used 4 sheets of tissue. Whoever gave me tissue, thank you!!! Tell me who you are...kaes?Anyway, it took me about an hour before I felt less shaky. But I knew God has already taken away my burden.The fourth service was about reaching the world and bringing along a Jesus Revolution! The last message for the camp. =( During this altar call, Ps ken prayed for the JAEL committee members. Indeed we must pray for them, and ask God to grant them wisdom on how to lead JAEL youth.Later on, several of us gathered to play and talk for the last night. We were talked about the last service. Jon and Zhou were with us - the rest of the committee members were probably FAST ASLEEP. We asked them what Ps Ken prayed for the both of them. I think they couldn't remember. But what they did remember was this! Zhou had a vision of the FIVE LOAVES AND TWO FISH. God told him he would be the 5 loaves and 2 fish.. Jon also had the same vision of the FIVE LOAVES AND TWO FISH!!! AND THE FIVE THOUSAND!! Suddenly Pearl said that I had a similar experience! She reminded me that before the camp I had read and brought up this same incident from the BIBLE!!! No wonder the feeding of the five thousand (not even the four thousand) had extra significance to me at that time!GOD IS REALLY AMAZING!You know what? I think the Feeding of the Five Thousand with the Five Loaves and Two Fish spells hope for JAEL. To me, I believe that God has heard our prayers for JAEL to grow. He knows that our prayers are earnest and He is providing us the reassurance that He will not let JAEL die out. In fact, He will use us to draw the hungry Five Thousand (symbolical) and Feed them with the Five Loaves and Two Fish!! This is really the reassurance that we need as we have been told that youth service might be cancelled permanently next year, we would only have cell group meetings. We know that without the JAEL coming together for one, it would become weak and S.T.O.R.M. would have to disperse. Yet this reassurance tells us that God will not just leave it at that! He's gonna create a JESUS REVOLUTION!!!!p.s. Anyone who recently had an encounter concerning the Feeding of the Five Thousand, please tell me asap!!!
5:26 PM
the scent still lingers
