The Need To Testify!

Today has been an awesome day. In this context, I would place the word "awesome" in the miraculous events that God has placed in my path this day. What more can I say but GOD IS SO REAL, especially when you desperately hunger and thirst for Him in your life. God sees our hearts, and all He wants is a heart that longs for Him.

In this day where I dwell upon circumstances in my life, God has led me to the following verses.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
-- Psalm 51:17 (NIV)

"This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word." -- Isaiah 66:2b (NIV)

Yes Lord, in your word you have said that we should rejoice in suffering (Romans 5:3), which produces perserverence, character and hope. And Lord, this day you have expounded to me that beyond all these, through suffering one learns to humble ourselves unto your mighty hands, a sacrifice of obedience, humility and repentence. Such a heart you do not despise, such a heart you esteem and value.

It is through times like this that God has brought me closer to Him. Even during today's evax, God brought forth a divine appointment (previous entry) that not only blessed him, but us who went for evax. And even what he said made sense, "How can man only remember God in times of problems but forget him in times of happiness?"
That was a question I remember asking Puay Siong when I first attended seekers class in Judah 5.

It seems that sometimes we may take for granted God's Grace and forget His goodness and blessings in our lives. So many times we may sway from our original motives when He pour forth blessings into our lives. Let us keep our hearts checked frequently to prevent taking God for granted! Amen?

Well, I just want to bring this entry to another significant continuation of this day, where I left you from my previous entry. It was amazing to see how God truly planned this day of mine.

After shepherding with Elysaa, I walked at a really slow pace, just to enjoy the cool breeze that autumn was bringing forth. From Brisbane street to my place was a 10 min brisk walk, and 15-20 min stroll. Along the way, I was talking to God and God placed in my heart a desire to share the Gospel, as He led me to a series devotions I have been reading the past few nights. Are we set apart for the Gospel? Or are we too focused upon our own personal whiteness?

"...separated unto the gospel of God"
-- Romans 1:1 (KJV)

Paul did not say he separated himself, but, "when it pleased God who separated me..." Paul had not a hypersensitive interest in his own character. As long as our eyes are upon our own personal whiteness we shall never get near the reality of Redemption. Workers break down because their desire is for their own whiteness, and not for God."
-- My Utmost For His Highest, Oswald Chambers

For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.
-- 1 Corinthians 1:17 (NLT)

Yet when I preach the gosel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel. If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make use of my rights in preaching it.
-- 1 Corinthians 9:16-17 (NIV)

We still have to change and grow to be more and more Christlike and to be holy, for God has commanded us to be a holy people. Yet, this day, do we grab the heartbeat of Jesus and the reason Jesus died for us? To bring His people, those who believe in Him, back into a relationship with the Father once again. And who will bring this good news to the people who have yet to know him? Jesus has commanded us to take upon this Great Commission and preach the Gospel!

He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation."
-- Mark 16:15 (NIV)

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you..."
-- Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)

C'mon people! Do you know you are chosen to do God's work? Even angels are not permitted to preach the Gospel. Do you know that angels look with great desire into the mystery of our salvation?

It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
-- 1 Peter 1:12 (NIV)

So even as God spoke these to me the past few days, I didn't know where He was leading me to. Then came this burning desire to evax today, which brought upon this refreshing blessed feeling that I haven't felt in awhile. God can use EVAX to bless us too, I must repeat! Especially when you truly seek Him and His ways for you!

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
-- Matthew 5:6 (NIV)

Yes, this day I've experienced what it truly means to be filled by God's blessings. Not material blessings, but spiritual blessings and fulfillment in a certain room in the heart that can be filled only by God.

So here I'll share the events that happened after shepherding. I write this not to boast but to encourage, and also to record the goodness of God in my life.

With all that God has spoken to me the past few days, I just felt I didn't want to head home. It was only 9pm, too early to head back into my lovely dome. I had to do more of God's work. As I strolled home, I asked God, "God can you bring someone to me or help me meet someone that I may have the chance to share the gospel?"

And I kept on walking, as slowly as possible. As I was about to reach Chais, I felt as though nothing had happened... so my prayer continued, "God, you can't just let me go home as such this day! It'll be so meaningless!"

So amazingly God led this lady to me who approached me for directions to the city. Apparently 412 was the only bus there and she missed the bus, and the next available bus was 1 hour later. I stood there for a moment with her, helping her sort out possible means that she could take to the city, and she then insisted she was fine, and would call her friend. I felt weird leaving her there alone at such an hour at night, but she insisted she was fine so I walked on.

But as I walked ahead, there was this churning within my heart as God brought me back to my prayer earlier. Oh yes! I had to turn back, and so I did. Let's say, if she really had to wait for her bus for 1 hour, that hour can be used to share the gospel to her! So I turned back and began to walk in her direction once again. She then crossed the road opposite the bus stop, and I was like, "God? What is this?"

But I believed in taking the step out in faith, and so I crossed the road after her and asked her if she was really alright. And she said she might take the 412 coming from the other side back to uni. So she boarded the bus, and amazingly James (aka John How) alighted from that very same bus. So we talked about the divine appointment this afternoon and as I headed my way home, I didn't know why God leaded me to that girl when he wanted to send her off to UQ.

But even then, I didn't have any wish to return back home to my lovely dome. I asked God once more, silently in my heart, for another person I could share the gospel to. Once again, amazingly, God put Patrick right before my eyes. No doubt that was Patrick from J1. He was carrying heaps of stuff and was struggling. At the end, I ended up helping him carrying half his stuff back to his house!

After helping him, I felt pretty happy and kind of understood why God made me walk back to that girl. Say.. if I never walked back to that girl, I wouldn't have met James, and we wouldn't have talked and walked slowly... in time to meet Patrick... and help our brother in Christ!

And so with that bit of joy, I returned home. And thinking that was the end of my 'journey' for this day, I was greeted by my housemate, Alex, in the kitchen. The next thing I knew, we began to talk a little, about cooking and stuff. And I sat there for awhile and suddenly, God just once again prompted me to share and testify.

That moment was so real. God just gave me boldness and courage to share. And I told Alex everything that happened from the moment I left Elysaa's house, and how I prayed to God to let me do something before I come home! And I shared with Alex the two people I met, and truly how real God is! And of course, I added the tinge of humour into the way I described it, and Alex was intrigued by it too!

As I returned to my room, I found myself dancing in the presence of God. God is so real, so awesome in this place. If you truly seek Him and His ways with all your heart, and with sincerity, God will reveal to you His plans. God listens to our prayers! And if you ask Him of something with the right intention (e.g. share the gospel), He would be more than glad to listen to you and grant you your wish. God loves us, His children.

Which father would deny his child who comes to him sincerely to help out in his father's business?

And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”
-- Luke 2:49 (NKJV)

Is your heart burning with excitement for your Father's business this day?
God bless you this day.