There is power and the presence of God when God’s people gather together. We literally witnessed this recently in one of our regional fellowship meetings in Yishun in the month of July 2010. It was not a big gathering but a small group of professionals gathered together, about 8 of us to be exact. We had a newcomer named Priya with us. She comes from a Hindu background and did not know the Lord before. She came there to get some guidance for a physiotherapy examination from Shruthi, who is also a physiotherapist and the one hosting the meeting as well.

Though some of us were very tired and exhausted as we came for the meeting, we could clearly sense the power and presence of God in the atmosphere and each one of us were very refreshed through the time of open discussions and sharing of testimonies. Through the leading of the Holy Spirit, each of us shared about how God has led each of us in our careers towards knowing him personally’.  John was sharing about how he found a job in Singapore and how it is related to that is where he found Jesus and started a personal relationship with him. He came to Singapore as a confident physiotherapist looking for a new start in his career but God brought him to the lowest point and that brought to realize that he needed God to help him. The night before his interview in Singapore, he was completely blank and totally lost his confidence. He literally broke down and wept for his inability to compete in that new environment. Then he began to realize that he needed God in his life and started praying to Jesus. Having come from a catholic background, he knew a little about Jesus. But from that moment onwards he started his personal relationship with Him.

In the same way Shruthi was sharing as about how God had ordained situations and circumstances in her life so that she would find Him, though she did not know God because she comes from a Hindu family. She was sharing that when she tried for her higher studies all the doors were closed. She used to be a bright student and couldn’t understand why she was not able to find a seat in any of the institutions that she wanted to join in. Finally she was very dejected and disappointed in all those failures and did not know what to do next. But miraculously and very unexpectedly, she got admission in one of the leading institutions in Bombay. . She couldn’t believe it because only a few people get admission into that course while the competition is very high. Eventually, that was where she found Jesus and got saved. So she said “I was not aware of any of these things, but God in His sovereign plan, closed all the doors and led me straight to the place where I would eventually come to know Him” “Had I studied elsewhere, I would not have known God, so God arranges situations in our lives in a way that we would have a chance to know him” she added.

These testimonies began to touch Priya, who came for a fellowship like this for the first time. And she began to identify herself with these testimonies and understood God’s plan for her life as well. She comes from a good family where she did not lack anything- in terms of material blessings or love and care in the family. She used to be a top student in her studies and became a very self-confident physiotherapist. But things were different when she came to Singapore in search of job and her confidence began to shake. That brought her to the house of John and Shruthi to get some guidance for her career. Though   none of us shared the gospel with her explicitly but each of us were sharing our experiences alone, it touched Priya very deeply. In the end we were thrilled to hear her confessing “I think God has planned situations in my life too and brought me to this place so that I would know Him here” We were filled with awe and practically witnessed the power of fellowship.

“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them”

Mathew 18:20

Shared from PROFIT – Professional Fellowship of International Talents is the Corporate fellowship in Singapore and in other countries. If you are in Singapore and want to be part of this fellowship, pl reach out to – profit.sg@gmail.com

Tears fell down his cheeks and on to his pillow. As he tried to get some sleep, he could not get his thoughts away from it. His thoughts went back to how it had started & how innocuous it had seemed at the outset. He realized his whole life was slowly ebbing away L . More than 10 years had passed by since the first mistake and he seemed to be sucked into this vicious circle with no end in sight. Oh how he desperately wanted to get rid of the habit!

The next day as he got up, he swore to himself, that he would not touch it today. As he started getting ready to work, he realized that today was the R & R (rewards and recognition) awards ceremony. He had been nominated for and awarded the MVP (Most valuable Award). He was excited at being recognized for his contribution and was looking forward to the praise and glory that would come his way as he would walk the aisle to get the award. He smiled to himself as he combed his hair. He selected his favorite blue shirt and black pant and made sure he was neatly dressed. He left home with the lunch box his mum gave him and walked towards his bus stop. He boarded the bus (5 minutes early) and slowly the desire to have a puff started building up. “Noooo” he told himself, I won’t do it, I will not give in again – he said. He bit his lip and tried to think about his work and his award, but no, the thought would not leave him. The battle in his soul was unbearable.

Raju had everything going for him. A loving son to his parents, an epitome of dedication at work and he had a kind heart to help anything / anyone who needed help. But deep down, he really felt he was a hypocrite. “Is all this just a farce? A mask for the people? Do I make all the right moves and noises in public to appear good?” – He would ask himself. He thought about how he had felt jealous when his friend got a promotion, his bitter anger at the escalation done by his onsite counter-part. And to top it all, his secret habit of smoking. What good does it do to appear right in front of everyone, but not be at peace with yourself? He knew his parents would be shocked to find out, but how long could he hide it? Is it possible to get rid of the habit?

If it was something external, he could change it, but how could he change something that had become a part of him? He smiled ironically as he thought of the award he was receiving that day, as it was for bringing in marked improvement in his team’s performance. If only life could be as simple as our project… To change his very inner nature would require something far greater than will-power to change…but was there a solution?

As he was thinking, Samuel came and sat next to him in the bus. Raju had always trusted Samuel and knew that he had something special about him (what it was he was not sure). He had wanted to share with him his problems earlier, but his pride stopped him on most occasions. Today, with a heavy heart, he felt he needed to let go and he thought of talking to Samuel. His blood pressure increased and sweat formed on his brow. How could he tell him? But he badly wanted to have this burden take off his chest.

Mustering all his courage, he told Samuel about his problem. He fought back tears as he told him about his struggles. Samuel listened quietly and understandingly to everything Raju had to say. Finally Samuel told Raju about his best friend. Samuel told him that he was a wonder-working person who could cure any of the heart’s diseases. He told him that all he would need to do is to meet his best friend and tell him his problems and just trust him to heal his heart. Samuel told him that he could talk to his best friend from anywhere at any time. Raju found it hard to believe and wondered how it would work? But he had tried everything possible to get rid of it – but nothing had worked, he thought he had nothing to lose.

When Raju spoke to Samuel’s best friend for the first time, he had thousand questions running through his mind, could this really be true? What would he say? He said “Dear God, I am sorry for failing you & messing up my life, I need your help to get me right and corrected. I need a change”. As he said this, he did not hear any reply back, but he felt a strange peace fill his heart as he talked to him. He felt light, like the time when he was a small kid with no worries. He knew something had changed on the inside & it was hard to explain.

A week went by and he did not have the urge to go for a smoke. Could this be really true he asked himself? A month went by & Raju frequently talked to  God, who was no longer just Samuel’s best friend, but his best friend as well. He thanked God for helping him get out of a place where he never thought he could get out. Who would think that God could be friends with a person who is a failure? When Raju smiled at someone, it was now really a smile with love and care. When he spoke his words were true and from his heart! Oh the delight of having a clear conscience!

This was definitely the tide of change that Raju had hoped for!

You’re the substitute for Jesus Christ in this world

You’re the substitute for Jesus Christ in this world. Astonished to hear this? See what Jesus said.

“The person who trusts me will not only do what I’m doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I’ve been doing.”

John 14:12

The greatest truth that every believer should explore is that he/she is the substitute of Christ do all the good works

 (preach the gospel, Heal the people, bringing people out of all yokes such as sin, disease, poverty, curse, anxiety )

That He did. It’s simply like a senior employee retires from His job and hands over the same job to his junior. You can be astonished on hearing these words of Jesus. How come Jesus is telling this assuredly? Because He has given the same Holy Spirit that He had.

Even though Jesus was the son of God, He partake flesh and blood and revealed us how a man should be. Therefore He was anointed with Holy Spirit to do the work of the Lord. Jesus tells that the same anointing was also upon us.

Start believing this from today and you will surely see God using you mightily in the good works, since we’re not doing anything on our own, but by the power of Holy Spirit. Amen. Have the compassion that Jesus had for the lost sheep (Mathew 9:36). When you see non-believing co-workers among you, your spirit should cry out with the same compassion that Jesus had on seeing the people.

Don’t see them as a sinner. See their desperate stage under the bondage of satan. We’ve been saved and moving towards Heaven. But what about them? Start having compassion for the non-believers around you. Then I tell you Lord will surely use you to touch them and get them into His kingdom. Praise God. Glory be to God.

It’s that time of the year when we begin to start getting our investments right to save some tax so that our income will reach us!!. Yes, I’m talking about the investments for saving income tax. I was just updating the details on my company website, when I found out that couple of receipts of insurance was missing!!!

How could that be??…I had reminders in place and also bill pay set up through my banking website, but still, I was not able to locate the receipts. Having confirmed that I had not paid the amount due for the year, I rushed to the branch with my worst fears of penalties to be paid with interest and ensuring that the policy was in force, so that I can derive the benefits due.

I reached out to the clerk at the front desk and when I told her my policy no, she replied to my utter disbelief – ‘Your policy is paid in FULL’ – no further payments required and it will mature in 2016. What!!!!, I just couldn’t believe my ears and insisted on checking it again and to prove it, she pulled out a print out of the policy details, which said ‘PAID IN FULL’.

What a similarity to what the Lord Jesus had done for us on the cross many years back – He paid up for our sins in FULL, so that we need not run from pillar to post, to cross check, but just to believe and be saved!!!. But in spite of the payment being made in FULL, we still keep searching and not understanding on what He has done for us.

The message is clear that our Lord Jesus had paid in FULL at the cross when He said (John 19:30) ‘It is finished’. So, let’s not be worried and not certain of what the Lord Jesus has given us and let us rest in the assurance of the cross on which he paid in FULL!!! Amen