At 5p.m. I had my shower and after that proceeded to the conference room to get ready some clues for the treasure hunt tomorrow.
When I started to stick some outdoor clues, the rain started to come down. Altogether I managed to stick four clues – two outside and two inside the conference room.
Before we started to have dinner, I gave thanks for the food.
Alex Liau led the P&W for the Final Session. He was also the photographer as well. After P&W, he passed the time to Ps. Steven.
During the Last/Final Session, Ps. Steven shared on the following.
When I started to stick some outdoor clues, the rain started to come down. Altogether I managed to stick four clues – two outside and two inside the conference room.
Before we started to have dinner, I gave thanks for the food.
Alex Liau led the P&W for the Final Session. He was also the photographer as well. After P&W, he passed the time to Ps. Steven.
During the Last/Final Session, Ps. Steven shared on the following.
The Other Side
Mark 4:35-41
v.15 Let us go to the other side.
Mark 5:1-20 Story about the other side
The Decapolis – ten cities on the other side of the lake. The place was displaced, perverse, unclean. Their emblem was on a shield with pig.
Jesus knew what was going on the other side. A demon possessed man turned up to welcome Him. He was Jesus’ mission.
The other side, ugly side, not welcoming side, people whom other people do not want to associate with.
We need to know God’s mission on earth.
Jesus came for those who had lost the plot.
1. Jesus saw the potential.
One person but still one soul. Do we see potential or problem?
What do we see in our colleagues, neighbours, peers?
God brought transformation into the man’s life. The pig owners chased Jesus out because they were counting the cost.
We need to reach out, not ostracise people who are not on the right side of the law. We are meant to reach out to the world.
2. Jesus saw the need.
The demon possessed man was in desperate need for healing. Jesus saw true societal prejudices. Jesus was driven by the needs of one man.
We often hear people say, ‘My church does not meet my needs.’
Tithing – 10 % obligation
Giving – out of freewill
Lending – by reaching out to the poor. God owes and will pay us back.
Need to be outward looking. We do not merely exist but to serve.
It is not that we do not care. It is that we do not care enough.
The other side is about living for the poor, disadvantage, dysfunctional.
3. Jesus saw the future.
He knows the demon possessed man upon being healed would follow His instructions.
Jesus told the man to go back to his family to share what God had done for him.
When Jesus returned to that city, the people welcomed Him.
We need to see a future in people.
God’s will is not static. It has to do with how we tap into the future right now.
It depends on how we respond to God at present.
Doing church is wonderful but our primary calling is to share the Gospel.
We have to watch our lives align with our doctrine.
Be steward tomorrow for the other side.
After Ps. Steven finished his sharing, he passed back the time to me. But then he said he was willing to pray for those who had not been prayed for by him yet.
A lot of people went out and some second or third time.
I was the last one to be prayed for and he had the following to say (word by word since it was recorded).
‘More prayer for your Spinxie? Hahaha. Hallelujah. Thank you. I love it when people are hungry for the touch.
Father in the name Jesus I want to thank you for Spinxie.
You know the spirit of Ruth is on you. Ruth in the Old Testament. You know the story of Ruth right? What is the essence of the story? Ruth(‘s mother in law Noami) actually made huge sacrifices for everyone – for her husband, for her sons, for her daughters-in-laws. She is a giving person. She is a sacrificing person.
And because of her spirit, God came and blessed her and restored her. And out of nothing, out of brokenness, out of having lost everything, lost wealth, lost husband, lost daugters-in-law or sons rather and one daughter-in-law went off. She released her. Out of that God transformed her into a lineage from which came King David and Jesus.
God is going to do that for you. There will be significant things coming out from you, generationally, legacy things that gonna come out from your life cos you are a sacrificing person.
Don’t give up on that. Keep doing (3x), keep looking forward (3x), don’t look back alright?
Keep looking forward and as you do, as you unfold, God will allow you to have a story to tell one day, increasingly the story gets better and better, an inspiration to give, a legacy to leave behind.
That’s for you. Amen.’
Everyone who went to the retreat went out at least once to be prayed for by Ps. Steven except one of our members and the whole American contingent. I really praised God that through those prayers we would be able to reach the destiny God has for each of us.
After the ministry time, I thanked Ps. Steven and some of us spent some time to seek some clarifications on his sharing during this Final Session. After that, he went to someone’s room to minister to the person.
On the way back to our room, there was a slight drizzle and the wind was blowing.
I spent some time in making some final preparations for the treasure hunt tomorrow.
Went to bed around midnight and this time I did not sleep a wink because the rain was coming down and the wind was howling more than the night before.
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