The Race of Life

Recently during sermons, Pastor Stephen has been emphasizing about bringing out Christ to the world through one's actions. Alot of people have the mindset that evangelism means proclaiming the Gospel to everyone around you, or inviting everyone to church with the hope that the pastor's sermon would be a little it more interesting that Sunday. Alot of people also believe that being a missionary involves going to the deep, forgotten jungles of the earth, meeting a cannibal tribe, learning their language and then teaching them about the Savior named Jesus.

Is that all to it? If you think so, then I'm afraid you're very wrong.

Many people don't have the opportunity to go overseas, into jungle areas or even meet a cannibal tribe. Many people don't even have the courage to tell their family members about Christ . Then how come evangelism is something that God wants us all to do? Pastor Stephen puts it very plainly.

IT'S SHOWN IN THE WAY YOU LIVE.

Now, some of you might have heard this before. I'm not here to expound on what Pastor had just said. I'm here to bring up a dilemna that I'm facing, and that some of you people out there might just be facing.

How do you bring your friends and family members to Christ if you haven't been living in a Christ-like manner all your life?

Take me for example. When I was in Zhangde Primary School, I was a loud-mouthed, arrogant, vulgar little brat who enjoyed behaving like a gangster-wannabe. At 173cm in Primary 6, I was taller and heavier than every single one of my teachers and classmates, and with it came a little charisma when it came to talking with other guys. I also behaved bullishly and childishly, and recalling the memories can spark a little regret in my heart.

Now I have 2 best friends, Richard Yew and Huang Yaosheng, who also came from that class of Primary 6. Through God's grace, I have managed to keep in contact with them through the teenage years, and was even given the opportunity to bring them to my church. Eveleen, now Richard's sweetheart, has also accepted Jesus into her life, and I'm really happy for her. Praise be to God!

With these 2 ex-classmates coming to Christ, I have a desire to bring more people from this ex-primary 6 class to church. I have the added advantage of having Richard and Yaosheng to pull strings and encourage them, but through meetings, they still have roughly the same impressions of we three hooligans from the past. It's hard to convince someone to come to church when last time you kept talking dirty things and teasing the girls all day.

Anyone can identify with that? Anyway, I always believe that nothing is impossible for God, and therefore my faith in His power is unshakable. I'm planning to ask my aunt (my father's older sister actually) to join my grandmother for the Chinese Service at 11 o'clock this Sunday. It's Mothers' Day, and I was hoping to ask them (she and her husband) out to church with a pretext of a lunch treat after that. Haha.. Will be calling her later tonight, she didn't pick up my earlier call. I'm sure God has His hand on the end result, however He does it. I'm just His instrument, and I'm very proud of the job too. Can't wait to see my relatives coming to church on a regular basis. So far it's been grandma only, and God has blessed her richly with wonderful health, and G, who always takes so good care of her. That's one of the many many reasons I fell in love with G.

Anyway, though it's not written in the Bible, I enjoy imagining myself as a Commanding Officer of an entire Angel Battalion, in which God is the King of Heaven's Army. Haha... Reasonable what, given the fact that He has (without a trace of regret!) acknowledged me as His son. Jesus Himself said that we will see and do even greater miracles than He Himself has performed during His time on Earth, and I must say they are terribly remarkable already.

God can do anything. I am His champion, and you can be His champion too. In fact, if you're reading this and you've already accepted Christ, God has already prepared whatever you need, sword, shield, armor, you name it He's got it. But He'll never force you to put it on. You'll have to put it on youself. That's the only clause in this agreement. God never forces anyone to do things against his will. He just promises that everything we Christians do will 100% have good results, if we would only consult Him first.

I'm a champion, young and fearless, with still a long way to go before I utter the words of the apostle Paul who has fought the good fight and finished the race of Life. Will you accompany me?