A vision of 2:22

I woke up in the middle of the night (not knowing it was so), feeling I've had a long sleep. However, as I looked outside, I still saw darkness and so would think maybe I should try to get to sleep again. But I couldn't. Flipping back and forth on my bed, I reached out to have a look at the time and found it's 2:22am. Still trying to sleep, I thought to myself, "2:22am, that's interesting, and what day is it today actually?" I came to a realization it's 2/2. Wow.... that actually got my attention.

I have to give a bit of background. Years ago, I have started to believe when I woke up in the middle of the night feeling awake, it must be God trying to talk with me. I would either pray for someone / something or wait to see what God has put in my heart. Then about 2 years ago, I had a wonderful encounter which led to an extended fast in the next 40 days that, I believe, renewed my own prayer life and my relationship with the Lord and revitalized our church's prayer ministry (not only Cantonese, but Mandarin and North congregation as well). It then helped start a wonderful young people ministry in 2010.

Ok, getting back to 2:22, now here I'm, believing God is trying to speak to me. Then I thought about Psalm (which I read just before I went to bed) and Acts. I turned to Acts 2:22, which says, "Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know". I continued to read in what follows about a quote of Peter's sermon from Psalm 110 which I exactly just read according to my yearly reading plan before I went to bed a few hours ago.... I was more puzzled. After Peter's sermon, we are told 3,000 came to faith. That is the number I've been talking about lately which is approximately how many Cantonese-speaking students are currently in Perth.

I kept an open mind to see what God is about to unfold further. Then I felt very sleepy and slept. 4 hours later, I woke up and felt a need to fast which I did. With an open mind and heart, I prayed to God to prepare my heart for His cause and calling.

Then a highlight came in the evening where we had a special speaker (Dr Ron Walborn) addressing us with Jesus' miracle of healing from Mt 8:1-4. Oh.... it seems to echo what I read in Acts 2:22. Ron then quickly moved onto a testimony about preaching to 10,000 people, 3,000 of whom came forward at an altar call for receiving healing. I felt speechless about all these numbers! I trust God is getting His message across to me.

After the message, I felt at least I needed to let the speaker know God has been using him to minister to me. Ron then kindly prayed for me, for increasing faith, for miracles, for apostolic ministry in reaching the people for Christ's sake.

While I am very excited and touched, I need sometime to digest this.

我有一個夢想

我有一個夢想… 我渴望成為一個信心偉人！我願像亞伯拉罕般願意把自己最寶貴的都為主獻上… 我願像約書亞和迦勒一樣，在大部份人覺得無可能的時候，仍能看見只要在神手中，凡事都能…

2008年9月至2009年初期間，很多人人心惶惶，當時的全球性 “金融海嘯” 捲走了不少人的財產，也令很多商家和打工人士為前景惆帳起來，因為多處的公司企業均倒閉或裁員。

在當時，我自己也剛落實一個頗大的決定 – – 為讓我們家庭因有了新成員出生而作出的家庭與工作之適應，於08年10月開始成為教會部份時間的同工 (這想法已於半年前，即08年初已決定，所以與金融海嘯無關)，這舉意味著我們家庭固定的收入將大減，得原來的60%而已，為期接近1年，於09年下半年轉為4天工作。我們的信心要經歷考驗…

當我讀到民數記13章，記載以色列人派探子窺探迦南地的情況，我不禁產生疑問，在多數人 (12位探子當中的10位) 認為不可能遷入迦南地的時候，不論是敵人的數目或他們的身量 (參民13:28-33)，都叫當時準備進入迦南地的以色列民卻步，我好奇為何迦勒和約書亞卻有信心，認為「我們立刻上去得那地吧！我們足能得勝！」，他們的信心從那裡來呢？莫非他們看不見敵人都「身量高大」(32節)？莫非他們不知道對方都是「偉人的後裔」(33節)？

我們再看下去便知道以色列人的小信惹來神的怒氣，但迦勒和約書亞的信心卻取悅神！迦勒的非凡之處在於他專心跟從神 (申1:36)，拒絕以人的眼光緊盯著種種不利的因素，反以神的眼光去看整盤的局勢，「有耶和華與我們同在，不要怕他們！」(民14:9) 結果，神祝福他們和那些對神有信心的人。

回顧過往2年的生活和事奉，我感謝神加添了我們的信心。但我的夢想還未實現，所以我渴望在教會的成長和擴堂的事上繼續經歷神，以神的眼光看… ，而你呢？

Listening and responding to God

Recently I was preaching in our church English's service on hearing and responding to God. I didn't plan for it, but the song leader that day chose the song: Potter's Hands, which I think perfectly fits my theme.

Find the lyrics and song below. Be blessed as you endeavour to listen and respond to Him.

"Is the Lord's arm too short?"

"The Lord answered Moses, 'Is the Lord's arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you.' "(Num 11:23)

This morning's devotions have captured my heart. It seems that God is asking me the same question just as He had asked Moses.

Lately, I've been feeling tired partly due to studies, ministry, and other work on hand. On top of that, we are on a pastoral team minus one pastor (as the other pastor resigned quite unexpectedly and left us within a short period of time). Then a couple of admin staff are waiting to take their annual leave in the next month or so, that requires me (& us) lots of planning and work-sharing recently. At the same time, the church has come to a stage where we believe we need a bigger and better facility to accomodate the gradual growth, but there doesn't seem any potential development or venue yet.

All these put together are rather overwhelming! We are then easily trapped in the thinking that, "This is all so difficult!" "Even though God is powerful, we need to face the reality that we are short of staff ... we are in constant needs ... 24 hours aren't enough ... "

Yet God really speaks to me and stuns me by asking, "Is my arm too short? See for yourself what I can and will do for you!"

I've found this very comforting, encouraging and somewhat relieving because God seems to be assuring me that He takes everything upon His shoulder.

Are there more problems for me still?

拙口笨舌是藉口嗎？

How often when we are called to do something for God, the immediate response from many of us would be "I'm not good at this or that", "someone else would do it better"? I'm sure on the other hand some would be so eager to accept God's challenge first, but later regret as the task seems too big to handle.

Moses, when called upon to lead the Israelites out from Egypt, has several times on different occasions said that he's not eloquent, but rather slow of speech and tongue (拙口笨舌). He repeated the same thing over and over again (Ex 4:10; 6:12, 30). God was annoyed by that indeed, yet re-assured him that He's the one who would help & teach him (Ex 4:12, 15). Also He's the one who brings along other people to work towards the great cause (Ex 4:15-16; 6:13; 7:1-2).

Whatever your excuses of inability or incompetency would be, God would help you overcome them all for His name sake.

It's a big day indeed (Day 40)

It's big day indeed. I've never imagined that this day would come into being, when I came to Perth exactly 15 years ago in April 1994. I came to Perth as a non-believing "seeker" and I wanted to know God in a personal way.

God found me shortly after I arrived, and called me into full-time ministry a couple of years later. To many people, that a 2-year-old Christian said God has called him to ministry is not very trustworthy, as it could be out of an impulsive feeling. God has shown me that His calling is for real. The preparation is not easy, nor straight-forward. I've learned a lot down the road, through stumbling, rejecting God (& being rejected by people), being disobedient, hurting others (& being hurt of course), and discipline from God etc.

It's a long long long way to this day. Yet it's just another beginning. I'm convicted that God chart our course and will have great plans for me and my family if we trust and obey.

I'm sure of God's leading ... (Day 35)

Last night, we had 19 people attending the Tuesday prayer meeting in East Perth. About half of the attendees attempted fasting last Friday (27/3). Some of them were encouraged to share their experiences. I was totally amazed at how they encountered God in prayer, and reading of His word as they fasted on that day. I even learned that relationship has been restored somehow when people fasted. Isn't that amazing? Have you had similar experiences?

I'm really thankful to hear those stories and testimonies. For me, I have nothing to boast as a "fast-er", and I make no apology for promoting fasting and prayer in church, because it's God leading me to do so. It's not for me, but for Him.

It's my privilege to serve You (Day 19)

It's my greatest honour and privilege to serve the Lord. In the past (almost) 8 years in full-time ministry (and particularly the last 4 years), it has been a humbling experience for me to prepare myself for ordination. There have been difficult times, and very discouraging moments, but the Lord has sustained me and given me strength. He confirmed His calling to me for life-long service unto Him. Words are not enough to describe the gratitude for this ....

Anyway, the C&MA Australia will ordain me at Perth Alliance Church on 5/4. 

God: "you will be a blessing" (Day 8)

Some 12 years ago, when I was seeking God's will for me whether to be in Australia or go back to Hong Kong during my 3-day fast, God showed me how He led Abraham (then Abram) to leave his country, his people and his father's household to the land where He will make him a blessing to others (Ge 12:1-3). 

That passage came to me as if God was speaking to me to leave my country, my people and my father's household. To me, it's God's call for me to stay in Australia to be equipped and to serve Him there. It was 1997.

Now 12 years later, Australia has become pretty much my country, and my home. God seems to use that same passage to speak to me that He may have another plan for me in ministry (or missions, that's the word I have in mind) in the near future. My wife and I are open to this as ultimately we think we have a calling to be in the missions field if God so leads. I'll keep my eyes open to the needs of the world, in particular the 3rd world, while exploring where God may lead me and my family.

Pray, pray and pray.

Is this co-incidence or calling of God? (Day 1)

Earlier on I was seeking confirmation from the Lord when to start my "journey", and it's confirmed to me on 26/2 - today.

Then in my heart, I have felt God's trying to stretch me in regards to the duration of it. I got a "bottom line" myself initially. The inner urge has continuously been coming back, and I was unsure if it's really this time or if it's really me. I came across Jaeson Ma's Facebook status mentioning something about TheCall. I was told that there will be a 40-day fasting specifically for the state of California in the US, initiated by Lou Engle (see video below).

He's calling on pastors, leaders and believers of that state to engage in a fast that would result in a spiritual breakthrough in their city and state. The fast starts on 25/2, which is 26/2 Perth time. Isn't this amazing? While they do it on the other side of the globe, I'll do it for my family, church and city here.

"Lord, give me strength and show me you are God taking charge!"

The "Journey" will now start unexpectedly by tomorrow

My wife and I woke up at around 2:30am this morning when Karis cried quite a bit. After she settled after 3:20am, I felt like hard to get to sleep again. Playing with my new PDA for a while, I still couldn't get to sleep. My dear wife was very sleepy though and she "made" it.

I then started to come to my senses and became "alert" if it's a God call to me. I decided to go out to the family living and read a book that came to my mind. I spent some time interacting with the author and also praying & asking if God wants me to push my plan forward - "Lord, do you want me to start now? Are you serious about it?"

Having reasoned that I do need some time preparing for the journey, I am going to embark again on a wonderful spiritual journey which will start on 26/2. 

"Lord, here I am, walk with me as I desire to walk closer with you!"

專心 VS 多心

今年，我好想專心帶領堂會經歷：「禁食禱告遇見神    謙卑靠主迎復興」。

禱告是我比較弱的一環。以往的事奉則重於做做做、計劃、開會等等。不是沒有禱告，只不過在事奉中，「它」的比重較少而已。

禁食則是比較陌生的；也不是未試過禁食，只不過是在有crisis的時候，或好想神開路才禁食的。畢竟，在母會中，禁食不是經常全教會性推動的。

在堂會的事奉開始時，突然有一些全國性事奉的學習機會，自己本來一口推卻，不過再細想，會不會這是神今年要我學習的呢？！反覆思量，再加上禱告，也詢問我最信得過而又有insight的太太，經過一晚後，我決定open自己看看。

這個事奉（... 把它叫做學習比較合適）又不是我想做就得，是要全體澳洲宣道會的牧者及代表選出來的，所謂「選」，不是教會內的引證票而已，而是好像選美國總統一樣，有對手與你爭的。我的對手係全國青年事工的統籌人。論暴光率，論知名度，我跟本比不上。就是有這因素在內，我決定試試，看是否神的心意。

一輪點票後 ... 選舉結果係 「Andrew Choy was elected ... 」，這是出乎我意料之外。這樣被選出的話，我一年要飛去Canberra或Sydney只少4次，參與開會。

問題來了，究竟神是否真的在此有帶領？我好想知 ...