THE FIRST HOPE BORNEO CONVENTION 2013
Three outstanding speakers: Pastor Simon Eng, Pastor Denis Lu and Pastor Larry Kreider zealously imparted God’s vision and passion to reap a harvest of souls into His Kingdom. The delegates were privileged to receive greater insights into God’s heart for the harvest, God’s call to Christians as labourers for the harvest, and the work of sowing and reaping the harvest of souls. Over the course of HBC, delegates had communion with God and spiritual renewal. They also fostered deeper bonds with members from other churches and centres. The following reflections capture some of the encounters with God during the HBC as His Spirit was poured into seeking hearts, bringing restoration, inspiration and fresh revelation:
1. Cheah Shu Hooi
My heart was deeply touched by a profound sense of God’s unfailing love for me amidst the praise and worship sessions. The assurance of His love bolstered my desire to move forward and fulfil God’s calling for me.
I was tremendously refreshed by the teachings even as God brought the realisation that He had already positioned family members and friends in my life as potential harvest fruits for His Kingdom. As a harvest worker, I need to sow the seed in their lives through consistent prayer, a life example that honours Christ and by sharing the gospel. I was further convinced that my faith lived out genuinely can be a strong witness for the Lord. Moreover, the urgency to harvest souls for God struck me intensely and I felt God urging me to be ready and prepared for many are ready to be won for Christ. Another thing that encouraged me was the word of God that promises miraculous and supernatural results when we act on faith, even as tiny as a mustard seed.
3. Lau Yew King
I was overjoyed to be involved in planning the opening ceremony of the HBC although it proved tiring at times. My organising and relational skills developed through my participation while I also learned to trust God and depend on Him to work the whole plan. My heartfelt gratitude goes to everyone who assisted in the production of the opening item. Besides that, the teaching sessions inspired me to seek personal growth in various areas. On top of that, I became more mindful that God has given me various talents not just to serve the body of Christ, but as a means to reach the unbelieving community. My own presence at the convention frequently brought to mind that I wouldn’t have been there if a harvest worker had not led me into God’s Kingdom in the first place. I wish to take up my role as a harvest worker and add more people into the Kingdom. I am also glad to see many young people having the chance to serve in the convention while also hearing God speak in their lives. God is good!
4. Leong Gian Wen
The recently concluded HBC was not just another elaborate teaching session or an extravaganza to showcase the cultural richness and diversity of Borneo but a spectacle of what God has been doing through those who have responded to God’s calling to bring in the harvest for His Kingdom. I was blessed by the testimonies of many selfless workers who have gone out to touch lives and make disciples through the revolutionary message of the gospel in both the coastal cities as well as villages in the heartland of Borneo.
God reminded me through the teaching sessions that the church has been given the mandate to proclaim His kingship over the nations and usher in His imminent victory over the power of darkness. I realised that the church will march on victoriously according to the prophetic revelations in the Bible regardless of my personal response to His call. God is inviting me to align my life with His will in order to lead a purposeful and victorious existence. Apart from God’s will, my life will only speak of meaninglessness, hopelessness and decadence.
Over the last few years, God has been challenging me as an individual to fulfil the Great Commission in a greater measure. I need to break more psychological, cultural and language barriers to reach out to the community that God has put me in. This alignment process has been painful because it requires humility and personal sacrifice. However, Jesus demands nothing less than our commitment to deny ourselves, take up the cross and follow Him as the cost of discipleship in Luke 9:23.
Throughout the convention, I have found Jesus' invitation to be so refreshing and diametrically opposed to the spirit of self-deification of the world.
