Yesterday was the best ever: Our church 17th Anniversary in the morning and Festival of Praise at night. The crowd filled the whole of indoor stadium...really rock it! :) This is my FIRST TIME attending both events...really surprise at how many people we actually have in City Harvest Church. We have Christian City Church and Don Moen to lead us in the praise and worship session. My friends keep telling me how great the band was last year as they have Hillsong and Delirious, two famous and popular Christian bands. But then to me, Don Moen's songs are pretty good enough since I miss the chance to experience the 'better' one last year...hahaha...and to show my support, I immediately purchase his album at the end of FOP! (So anyone who wants to listen to his songs feel free to borrow from me...)
One thing that truly touched me at the service is the testimony that one family give, Mr Lee Kian Hiong and his family. It is their children who brought their father to church and eventually he is converted to christianity. The wife followed soon after. How amazing God has answered her and touched her: She worship other idols before and on the first service that she attended to, the service's message was on the first commandment--"You shall have no other Gods before me." It is such a loving family who grow strongly in the Lord together. This is like my dream family that I wish I could have in my future. How beautiful and wonderful it is....
Another event that leave an impact on me is the close bonding that CHC has. CHC is such a big church that have over 22,000 members now and it is continously growing. Yet even people may not know each other, they are opened to know any other cell group members and that they are really nice and kind to anyone. Even so often we always have to rush inside the halls to reserve seats for our members, you never see any fights over them. Like if there are no seats at all, you can ask those who already reserve one whole row of seat that they probably no need all of them and they will immediately call their members to see how many seats they can give up for you. Never need to worry too much ya? But of course punctuality is still a very important in life.
After singing the birthday song for CHC and all the effects of the balloon falling, they actually prepare a video to thank Pastor Kong Hee for his guidance and leadership. You can see how great this man is and truly a leader who is anointed to lead by God. Sometimes it really makes me wonder what happen if Kong grows old and no longer with us in CHC...will things be the same or he would have raised another great leader among us to lead the church and the members into another level? But then for now I know he will always be here to lead us and I truly enjoy every service that he leads. Sun, his wife, makes a call to the church and she is a really sweet lady. It's just a sweet moment between husband and wife and you can feel the warm that comes from her heart. They are certainly a good example that couples could learn from them and I can't wait for the next session on the lessons on marriage...something I can apply on in my future life!
I really want to praise the Lord for all that He has prepare for us. Last time I have many negative opinions on CHC and that make me stay away from coming here. But sometimes it is really all about timings. I had my timing when I am opened to going over to another church and even to CHC. I can still recall how stiff and stubborn I was at that point of time...refusing to be influence or follow what the others tell me to do. But funny thing is I teared all the way at the end of the first service at CHC, without knowing the reason for all my tears. I believe it is truly the presence of God that touched me in ways I never know of. How wonderful He is that I could feel the change within me now. Not only me, but the person who brought me here, and all the other friends around me who are strong christians and whom I want to be like them, praising God and glorifying Him always.
But even if you are changed person, it is not easily accepted by the others who know you in the past. Challenge comes in this part and so often you want to give up your hope and dream to be the better person you want to be and that God wants you to be like him. Impression is something that is pretty deadly in the reality world if you don't know how to leave a good impression on the others. But remeber God will forgive our sins "seventy times seven"? Can we forgive and forget the other people like God did to us? Maybe only when you truly forgive and forget what bad things the other person did, that's when you can truly accept the changed characteristic of that person and never question about his or her past again.
I often like to look at the message on the greeting cards and one says: " Let bygones be bygones. Let tomorrow be a brand new beginning. Yesterday is gone and there's nothing you can do about it." Never judge a book by its cover? Not complete...because the content of the book is also a history and you need to revise it over the years. That's why they have so many editions for the books...and so we should also believe and accept the newest updated edition of the people around us too...
"My soul finds rest in God alone, my salvation comes from Him." - Psalms 62:1
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