Cell Vision and Values

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Today has been a rather quiet Monday and for once I can afford to sit back a little on my new work chair and take my time with my work; no need to rush.

But I thank God for a few things:

• For using me to encourage a colleague friend as she walked by and I just felt that I needed to talk to her. Usually, we would just greet each other as we walked by but then today, we just talked a little and she was sharing her struggle at her work ministry. But I could sense her passion to serve God and thank God for using me and for guiding the short talk which ended with a prayer. Words just came and I also had the chance to share my recent struggles with cell ministry (which seems to be taking off now). I always believe God brings people together for a purpose.
• For giving me the courage to call a visitor who was linked up to our cell last year but who I have not had the courage to call because I always struggle with calling people. However, in the end, I could not get her and so I left her an email. Instead, I called my prayer partner.
• For a wonderful time of sharing and fellowship with my prayer partner; for the first time I took courage to call people over the phone and everything went well and how we shared our struggles and also thanksgiving and prayed for one another.
  
• For being able to complete penning down an email to my core members to share with them what God has set in my heart for our cell vision and values...
  
  

  Luke 14:12-14 (NIV)
  12. Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid.
  13. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,
  14. and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
  

  
  Hi there KM, J, J and J,
  
  I had wanted to get this email to you but have not been able to sit down to pen it in full till now. I just wanted to thank you all for believing in me and in the cell and what God is about to do in this cell. Thanks for staying with the cell. I do feel that God indeed has His purpose for our cell and also in bringing you into this cell and I hope to be able to share with you what I seem to hear from God regarding the purpose of this cell.
  
  God Never Forsakes
  For months last year, I have been despairing about the state of cell and for several times, I kept wanting to step down but God had again and again given me reassurance. I did not see why He had wanted me to stay on and had several times wanted to just give up. But God refused to give up on me and continue to assure me through the pulpit, songs, circumstances and continue to also send people to encourage me on.
  
  Then, the turning point came when I heard from God asking me on Sunday during service, “why do I not trust Him?” I stayed on and towards the end of last year, I have suddenly came to realization that God may have something for this cell. Firstly, during the last prayer meeting of the year, I seem to sense that He was telling me that my ministry will not be easy but I did not hear specifically what it was. Then, bit by bit, it came together as I saw how God could have using circumstances to prepare me for a ministry working with people who have been brokened, backslided and misled. Later, it became very clear how things were going awry end of last year; my health, work stress, ministry stress and also hearing that my dad could possibly have cancer; how everything could have pointed to spiritual attacks. The spiritual attacks continue till the beginning of this year and the devil continue to put doubts in me about the calling. My only conclusion is that this IS the call of God and the devil is trying to put a stop to it. But thank God that He has been faithful and has not forsaken me, even though sometimes the going gets tough and I wonder where God is.
  
  Throughout this time, God continued to work with me and I slowly began to realize more and more of what He was doing. I realized how He was beginning to give me burden for people’s spiritual growth and this was the toughest given my introverted character which makes me struggle in “confronting” people about their spiritual growth. He remained faithful and continue to send people to encourage me on and also send people to cell and people for me to minister to. Then it became clear that God was doing something different in this cell, as if to change things to make it a cell which could eventually reach out to the brokened, backslided and misled. Another turning point came when I was “confronted” about my giving up by a brother-in-christ, which soon made me realise that God was using circumstances to prepare me for a ministry of rejection.
  
  Cell’s Purpose?
  Then, I asked Him where cell was heading for because I was praying that He will lead the cell to fulfill His purpose. I was hesitant in projecting my calling to cell and sought to confirm the calling. For weeks, I prayed about it and asked for affirmation. And weeks, God has been sending to me passages after passages during my quiet time including Jeremiah 51 on preparing for battle; one which God will give victory, Jeremiah 1 on not being afraid and saying what God commands because He will be with us, Nehemiah on the work of rebuilding. Then, subsequently, more confirmation came during my quiet time and also during the recent Heidi Baker conference about reaching out to the spiritually needy. I then wondered if indeed this was also God’s purpose for cell as well and the answer I got is “why can’t this be a calling for cell at the same time?”
  
  Anyway, looking back, it has been clear that God has His purpose for this cell and looking at how people are brought to this cell despite no conscious effort to do outreach and despite it happening during a time in which the cell was threatening to come apart, it became clear that God has His plans for the cell. He gave me the image of a “petrol kiosk” and I seem to sense that the purpose of this cell is to reach out the spiritually needy and to fill them up, sometimes even making a spiritual impact in their lives that they will make a U-turn; they may not necessarily stay in the cell or even in Riverlife but I believe that the cell will play an important role in helping to make that spiritual impact.
  
  Our Cell Values
  In helping the cell to fulfill our God-given purpose, I sense that together we need to always be mindful:
  

  1. Believing in Romans 8:28 (Believe) – Believing that in all things God work for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose; that God uses us in all circumstances to minister to others and that God is in control and in time, God’s will will be done. But in the meantime, we can play a part in God’s purposes.
  2. Focus on God (Focus) – that we need to constantly remember the purpose God given to us, both personally and as a cell, and that the focus should always be on God and bringing people back to God. It should never be about our own glory, number of salvations etc
  3. Grow (Grow) – In line with church’s vision for this year, we will need to grow strong spiritually together as well to be prepared for the upcoming battle
  4. Putting on the Spiritual Armour (Wear) - We are in the business of spiritual warfare of going against the devil in winning souls and therefore, we need to be equipped for the spiritual warfare. Hence, we need to continue to pray continually for everyone in the cell for spiritual covering. We also need to be equipped for the battle by continuing to grow spiritually in the meantime, being equipped with the Word of God, praying continually, being righteous, having faith in God and holding on to our salvation and the truth of God and being always ready to act for God, much to what has been taught in Ephesians 6:10-18.
  5. Loving Our Neighbours (Love) – I sense that our work with the spiritually needy would require humility on our part as well as much patience.
  6. Giving Thanks (1 Thessalonians 5:18) (Give Thanks) – We need to be aware of God in our lives and the wonderful work He has done in our lives and it will help to always give thanks in all circumstances that we will grow in our faith of the power of God
     

  
  Growing the Core
  In the meantime, we are going to start with a few things to just help each other to grow:
  

  1. Prayer Partner – I am putting a few of us together to render support to one another in prayer and also help each another grow spiritually
  2. Worship – We are going to try something new this year and we will all prepare songs as the Spirit leads during that week. Just prepare 6 copies of the lyrics of the song(s) that you feel led to sing for cell and let me know by Thursday morning.
  3. Co-facilitating Word – I welcome you to also take up the challenge of helping me to co-facilitate word and see the glory of God come alive through His word.

  
  Please do share with me your comments :)
  
  Sorry for the long email. Lastly, before I go, may I just say that I am an introverted person but I do care for you all. Please do let me know if there is anything I can help pray for you even if sometimes I am passive.
  
  Thanks again KM, J, J and J :) I really thank God for all of you. May God’s will be done in this cell.
  
  Codfishy

  
  
  
• For an email from KM asking how I was and whether I would like to go with her to Christian bookshop to see see look look :) I am not being hopeful that this is good news but nonetheless it still is hope right? Just happy to see the email.
  
• For being able to finish reading 2 chapters from a book my sister bought yesterday on prayer. It was easy and good reading. Today, I read Chapter 1 and reflected why we sometimes find it difficult to pray e.g. because we feel God don't care, that prayer is an assault on deep-seated human values on independent living, that it is embarrasing etc. But as I reflect upon the chapter, I come to realise how my prayer has changed tremendously from what it was like last time.
  
  Now, I recognise that sometimes there are just times when we do not know what to do and can just pray; in fact there are times that there is nothing else we can do but go down on our knees and pray. I also come to use prayer as a time of talking to God and my prayers are no longer focused on what I want but then after coming to know God more, I have come to know His heart and pray for things to work out according to His will. Indeed, sometimes, my prayer are not even "closed-eyes" affairs and I can just be talking to God, submitting requests and also giving thanks while I am walking. It is a time where I can get to experience Him and be in communion with Him; experiencing the peace sometimes and committing struggles into His hands and letting Him work through me. Come to think about it, my way of prayer is indeed much more different that in the past.

Joining a Gym
OK, stitch-giver has talked to me and I will be going with her to the gym tomorrow. There is a high likelihood that I may join the gym given that I am also worried about my health, with all the leg pains and also heart pain being experienced during the weekends. I am also getting way fatter and today while going out from home to work, my mum mentioned in passing how my tummy was just becoming bigger. Think it is just time I needed to do something for my own health and maybe I will start with simple exercises first. Played basketball for a while with KM and a few other cell members on Sunday and leg did not hurt as much today. Maybe it is true that I need to stretch the muscle a little. Anyway, even the doctor on Saturday also told me to start simple first because I need to exercise to get rid of the excess weight which might be causing my leg pain.

Flabbergasted by Selfish Acts
On a side note, I was real disturbed by what I saw today. I was returning back home from work and in front of me was this boy, no older than 14 years old, and he was in his school uniform. As he walked past the drain, he just conveniently threw his mineral water bottle into the drain and walked by. I was flabbergasted by what I saw and kept thinking "what's wrong with these people?! Why are they so selfish?!" Just as I was lamenting about it, within seconds, an elderly gentleman walking in front cleared his throat and spitted it on to the ground. What's wrong with these people?! Is it everyone for themselves now?