ECCM Pastors’ and Leaders’ Meeting, 1st November 2010
Report by Tan Chin Chin & Cheng Tyan Min
At the last pastors’ and leaders’ meeting on 1st November 2010, we had the privilege of listening to Pas. Timothy O’Connell and Rev. Yang Tuck Yoong share on the topics of ‘Leadership As Seen Through The Heavenly Father’ and ‘Following The Cloud Of Glory’ respectively, while Pas. Eu Hong Seng shared a devotion on Constraints.
In his devotion, Pas. Hong Seng highlighted five constraints that we should accept as believers, namely:
o The Word
o The Holy Spirit
o Our duty to pray
o By the Rhema word of God (to do a specific task)
o By the yoke of God
To be constrained is to be compelled, to be obligated and to be confined. Our willingness to be constrained matures us and brings greater effectiveness. To be unwilling to be constrained is
to not understand responsibility.
In Pas. Timothy O’Connell’s session, we looked at John, the beloved disciple of Jesus, to learn from him. John had such a deep relationship with God that he received revelations for the Book of Revelations. God wants hearts that seek Him, like merchants seeking for pearls. To be effective, we must receive revelation.
It is God’s heart to always restore. Leaders must not only fish, but also mend broken nets. The good shepherd seeks even the single lost sheep, even though he already has 99 in keep. John’s ministry was restoring man to Jesus.
Lastly, John understood the potential of sin to cause great damage. Leaders must not minimize sin in church. The spirit of the anti-Christ will move into such churches, consequently the people will reject truth.
In the final session, Rev. Yang Tuck Yoong preached at 200km per hour. No brakes. Singaporeans just can’t resist speeding in Malaysia!
“We are born to play a part in revival,” he said. But revival doesn’t just happen. There is a price. The Asuza Revival started from a group of people getting together regularly to pray for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Welsh revival had similar beginnings. Do not despise the days of small beginnings. Revival could be brewing in the backwaters of our kampungs and villages.
Take prophecies seriously. Daniel read the books of the law and knew Israel’s captivity was for 70 years. He prayed. And God gave him revelations.
From a vision he received, Rev Yang believes revival is blowing our way. His church took over night clubs, and 33 massage parlors closed down in the community. That’s definitely revival.
Prayer precedes revival. All revivals had started with prayer. We must be a house of prayer. Is this praying 24 hours, 365 days? Is a church with its schedule full of prayer meetings a house of prayer? This was thought-provoking. “A house of prayer has its pastors and leaders praying and seeking the face of God,” Rev. Yang declared. Amen.
