Wednesday, July 26, 2006

A Soulwinner's Reflection

The following article is written by one of our students at the Destiny School of Leaders. Be blessed in your reading...

“Now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation.”-2 Corinthians 6:2

Being far away from home allowed me to enjoy the feelings of receiving packages and letters. One thing that also amazed me is the one who would go where we are in order to give us what was sent for us. Something precious that he takes very good care for and assures to give it on time. He is whom we call mister mailman or better known as the messenger.

He gathers the letters. Set a route plan for delivery. He carries a bag that would secure the messages. With him are sturdy and strong feet. Before him lies the different places to go to. In him is the goal of giving everything to its rightful receivers. Hard work does he do, but come to think of all those hopeful people who are waiting for their messages and to the senders who longs to give what they want to have to offer, it is worth it.

I like to illustrate Christians as messengers. We are God’s mailmen. We carry in us the promise of God’s salvation that is something to be given to all His people. As a mailman identifies himself with the desires of the sender, our hearts should be in tuned to God and to what message He wants to say. Different sizes of letters and packages are meant for different receivers, and so, God sees the needs of the people through us and we are to deliver the message in different ways. Many years may pass still the messages are still delivered. Veteran mailmen train younger ones to do such tasks. These young ones would continue the task. Like them Christians too are to leave a legacy in this world… men and women who will continue the race.

Reflecting on my experiences, I could relate myself to an insecure mailman. What if I don’t do well? What if I send the wrong package? What if they don’t get the messages? What if my timing wasn’t right? What if I did too much or left out something? What if they knew my past? Am I not still young to do that? Everything on what ifs and buts. Yes I have been saved and have place my faith on God, but still then there is something was retained in me. My fear of people, fear of speaking, fear of mistakes…doubtful to what I can give.

This got me thinking on the life Apostle Paul lived. He has a mission to accomplish among along all people. As Saul he was a well-known Pharisee. He has never violated the law in his lifetime. But he was also a great persecutor of God’s people. When he encountered God, he was renewed. Then on he has bold and open with his faith. He was enemy before but his past never hindered him from doing his work. He worked with all his heart, body and soul. “For God did not give us the spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

Paul’s example hit me hard. It got me thinking.. we love and honor the same God. I can do what he can do. May be not exactly the same way, but through what I have been given with. I am called to do my best to present myself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth (modified from 2 Timothy 2:15). I must not be discouraged. It is time that I become a secure mailman. All for God’s glory.

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to public reading of the Scriptures, to preaching and teaching. Do not neglect your gift, …
Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see you progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” 2 Timothy 4:12-16

--Wind

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Learn All You Can!


We at Destiny never stop learning. We are always eager to hear new things, learn new things, have new things, do new things. It's not that we are always changing our minds, but it's about a continuous pursuit of our destiny, every man's destiny... the destiny of being a polished arrow in the loving hands of our Maker and God.

We're continually becoming ready for the multitudes!

Last Sunday, we formally opened the second term for the year 2006. It was a simultaneous opening of Post Encounter, School of Leaders 1, 2 and 3. It's exciting to see the brethren looking for their classrooms, with some of them getting lost. Haha... But we can see the excitement in their faces. People are just eager to grow and be equipped. And I know of some (or many) who are nervous... I just don't know why. Is it the teacher? The requirements? Or the classmates? Well, for whatever reason, that nervousness tells us that we cannot just rely on ourselves, even as we go to through the Ladder of Success. We need God's strength, power and grace to help us and sustain us. After all, the school is about each one of the students being placed in the hand of our Maker for Him to polish and perfect.

Well, the number of people keeps on increasing each term. Our Father is consistent with His promise of giving us the multitudes. Hallelujah! We are expecting a lot of people this semester.

In the Post Encounter, we are expecting more than 100 people to come. Yeah, we are consolidating a lot of people! In the School of Leaders Level One, we are expecting 59 students. In the School of Leaders Level Two, we have 29 in the list. In the School of Leaders Level Three, we are expecting 28 enrolees.

The Father is really raising up His sons and daughters to take the harvest among the nations. Let's continue to learn all that we can learn in the schools and be the leader that He has designed us to be. Let's give birth to generations!