Arise!

Early I will rise and praise You, Lord!

Let Your name be lifted high and Your praises be ever ringing.

Arise, all you children of the Almighty God!

Arise and praise Him and shout your praises,

For He is good and His mercy endures forever!

O Praise Him, all you that has breath!

O Praise Him, He is holy and exalted!

Jesus, King of Glory, come take Your place!

Jesus, we worship You.

It's 6.45am. I have barely slept for 5 hours. But my spirit has never felt so alert and strong and on fire. And I mean this literally. Because for me to get up at midnight to pray, it's not something I would do normally. What else would you do if you can't sleep and you kept thinking about salvation for the lost?

I knelt and prayed for an hour, prayed prayers that spoke eternal destinies into their spirit. I wouldn't say I travailed in the spirit, but it was definitely intercessory. I'm not writing all this to boast; on the contrary, to give glory to God, because I know this is not of myself. And I know whatever He has led me to pray has already started to happen in the spirit. Thank You, Lord.

Today is Sunday, and you and I know very well what that means. :) "Early I will rise and praise the Lord!" This phrase keeps coming into my mind. I guess my spirit just can't wait.

I will be in The Vine Sanctuary, Sunway, this morning, with Ps. Lois. It's going to be the first time I'm there on Sunday, and the first time I will be an interpreter for Ps. Lois. I think I haven't started to feel nervous yet; maybe I will when I reach there later. :) But I know, Lord, You will be with me, and it's Your Holy Spirit that will work through me.

*

There are many ways of preaching the gospel. Some people use tracts, some people use care, some people are just touched by the Holy Spirit. But no matter what kind of barrier you think you're facing with the people you're reaching out, LOVE is the answer. Some people carried their salvation and Christianity with pride, a very subtle sense of pride, that they don't realise it's the number one killer that prevents people from seeing Christ in us. Yes, we have confidence in the Lord, but what your spirit carries when you share Christ is what will determine the outcome of the sharing. LOVE is the answer.

We are not trying to convert people -- this is the Holy Spirit's job. Nor are we trying to persuade people -- Paul said his preaching was not with persuasive words of man, but by the demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit. Nor are we trying to sell something. Nope. When we preach the gospel, we are bringing people to a point of CONVICTION, that they need God, and that they can enter in through the Way and the Truth (Jesus Christ), and that they can have Life. We are bringing them to the point that they can make the individual decision to believe in Jesus. We are urging people, not begging them. Jesus must be presented in a non-threatening, non-confrontational way, and Jesus must be seen in us.

We are the light to the world, the salt to the earth. We are the called and sent. Compel them to come in.