At Gracepoint Fellowship Church’s Tuesday night prayer meeting, we had a bi-monthly church-wide sharing time focusing on the theme: growth through suffering. We heard three very powerful, refreshing and challenging testimonies. One of them was our very own Allen’s salvation testimony, and the other two were from Joyce who just returned from Taiwan after serving the Hsinchu church for two years and Daniel who returned from a 10-day mission at Honduras.
Allen shared honestly and simply how God has brought the light of the gospel into his dark and depressing life. Even though he was leading a decent life, he did not find the true meaning of his life until he understood God’s forgiveness of his sins and God’s love for him. And he wrapped up his testimony with Galatians 2:20-21a: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God.” I was really impacted afresh by the simplicity and the transforming power of the gospel.
Daniel, who was our guest speaker at the International Student Ministry 2009 Winter Retreat, shared in detail about how the full time missionaries in Honduras labored hard to provide medical and spiritual care for the people in Honduras. The missionaries there had to suffer a lot due to the lack of resources; however, God used them to bring the salvation message to the people. It made me feel ashamed of my desire for comfort and avoidance of suffering. Pastor Ed challenged us to think about the suffering that our brothers and sisters are undergoing throughout the world. 1 Peter 5:9 “Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”
I was so blessed by Allen’s sharing. Thanks Allen for sharing this with us. His testimony is so simple, yet powerful. I was reminded that it is this transforming, powerful good news that I am called to suffer for so that others may be able to hear it. I look forward to the Fall semester when we will meet many new International friends who we can share this truly good news to.
It was so challenging to hear about the zeal and the dedication of the medical missionary in Hondurus who spend weeks there, but they have a larger picture and sense of vision. I love these Gracepoint Bi-monthly times.
Ditto. I think of someone like Dwight from BMDMI in Honduras… I don’t know how a senior citizen can move like that for 9 weeks straight with a smile and with a pace that shames the most efficient ones at our church. If not for the gospel, he would be enjoying time with the kids and grandkids. Maybe he and his wife deserve a Romans 16, “worked hard in the lord” type of commendation.