In a Christian’s life, trials may follow triumph. Those who attended CGI-Asia Conference 2010 are well-prepared for fair and foul times.
Contributed By The City News Team
The past week has been a historic one for City Harvest Church. From May 26 to 30, 25,245 individuals from 70 countries, representing 2,085 churches came together at Church Growth International-Asia Conference 2010. For the first time ever, CGI held its meeting in Singapore, combining with CHC’s biennial conference that brings together Christians across Asia to answer the call of the Great Commission.
The conference saw a stellar line-up of speakers from across the world: David Yonggi Cho, Reinhard Bonnke, A.R. Bernard, Phil Pringle, Kim Sung-Hae, Lee Young-Hoon, Richard Bernal, Christine Pringle, Paul Kim, Ken Eldred, Prince Guneratnam, John Avanzini, Steve Munsey, David Sumrall, Casey Treat, Mark Conner, Theo Wolmarans, Beverley Wolmarans, Robb Thompson, and senior pastor of City Harvest and co-host, Kong Hee.
All preached different messages, yet their words came together like jigsaw pieces to reveal the elements every Christian needs to be effective in his or her mission from God: To go to all the world and preach the gospel.
Cho’s explanation of the Fourth Dimension—the Holy Spirit’s power to control the Third Dimension which we see with our eyes, taught every attendee to do four things: think, visualize, believe and confess. Through a lifetime of living in the Fourth Dimension, with overwhelming fruit in his ministry, Cho is proof that these four practices are the key to a victorious walk as a Christian.
Bernard explained self-esteem and self-concept. One’s self-esteem (how one feels about oneself) is closely tied to self-concept (the person one thinks he should or could be). The further apart the two are, the less effective in society this person will be. Christians, when redeemed by Christ through salvation, start to become people that God has created them to be.
Pringle talked about the sword of the Spirit—how the church grows in a climate of war, and how the saints must be prepared to brandish their sword—which is the Word of God and prayer—and push back the forces of darkness.
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| CN PHOTOS: Gabriel Seow and Michael Chan |
Bonnke brought the delegates back to the power of God’s Word. Quoting from Genesis 1, he noted that the Holy Spirit hovered over the world in chaos, and nothing happened until God spoke. The two elements to live a powerful Christian life—the life God created man to live—are the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. His prayer for a ring of holy fire to touch the young who had a passion to become evangelists drew hundreds to the front of the auditorium.
Avanzini, who preached during most of the offering messages in the conference, brought the congregation’s attention to the importance of sowing. The enemy does not mind when Christians praise and worship and hear the Word, but he fights giving, as sowing ties the believer to a destiny in God.
Kong’s most powerful message was one of a grateful heart and of love. Even as CHC and its affiliates embrace and passionately live out the Cultural Mandate—transforming the pillars of society for the glory of God—Kong exhorted the people to return to the heart of God, which is loving people fervently.
Steve Munsey, whose dramatized preaching won many new fans at this conference, left the Christians with this encouragement: They must learn to dance in the rain, that is, bad times, so that when the sun comes out, they will shine.
The conference gave the delegates many high points, each strengthening different ones in different ways—from the spectacular Parade of Ministries that wowed the crowd, to the powerful testimony of Tsai Chin, renowned Taiwan singer; from the captivating sight of CHC worship leader Alison Yap leading worship on the piano for the very first time, to the performances of the CHC drama ministry and the children from YoungTalents who reprised Fish Ball Ping Pong—that every person who came, from near or far, felt like a spiritual giant, ready to take on any challenge.
Delegates who attended the conference and experienced the indisputable presence of God would remember the five days of strengthening, equipping and reinforcement of faith that would prepare them for any trial to come.
It has been indeed a tremendous week, as delegates return to their various countries, eager to put into practice what they have had the privilege to learn at CGI-AC2010.
