Week 7 - TCC @ PL

Um. Yeah. So I've been lazy. ^__^;; Catch up time..

The thing about going to churches like Trinity Christian Center (@ Paya Lebar), is that firstly, its SO far away. I think if it wasn't because there was a train station nearby, I would be rather dissuaded to visit. Heh. Oops.

TCC @ PL was Michelle's idea; it was the church she first came to accept Christ in. Rachel came along too. We were picked up from the train station by Michelle's friend and driven a short way over to the church.

I had been to this building once before; the counseling seminar was held here in August 2010. I personally really liked the building a lot... it had a small garden complete with an artificial waterfall, that was meant to be a prayer and contemplation area. Very lovely. TCC @ PL served as a theological school on weekdays, and that explained its size, as well as the in-house Han's that was in the premises.

We were a little late; service had started by the time we arrived, and so we found ourselves ushered to seats a little to the back, in the midst of other brothers and sisters singing songs I did not recognize.

The preacher for the day was the church's very own senior pastor, Pastor Dominic Yeo. His topic was on "The Blessed Life", based on Isaac's story in Genesis 26. It was on living and walking the Blessed Life, and I suppose not just talking about it.

Some excerpts from my notes..

The place of fulfillment is the blessed life, and God is calling us to it, to walk into it, to press into it.

1) The blessed life is a life of the the promise of God's presence.

The life of Isaac closely mirrors his father's. God promised a blessed life; It's got nothing to do with the environment and circumstances around you, it's dependent on God's presence on your life. Despite the drought in the land, God told Isaac to stay where he was, for He would be with him and will bless him!

The principle? Stay where God wants you to be. Abide where He is and has called you to. Be where He wants you to be. God can and will fulfill His plan in your life as you abide in His presence.

~~~~~

3) The promise of protection and possession.

Isaac was richly blessed! Isaac reopened the wells that Abraham had once opened. Note that every time God showed himself, they dug a well and named it. That's important. When Isaac opened the wells, he remembered the names.

The blessed life is one of protection; even though Isaac had legal right to those wells. Perhaps he understood something about faith. This confidence that God will provide. Despite the opposition he stayed on in the land and was confident, despite the repeated persecution. Isaac could have staked his legal right (to the wells), but he chose not to. He chose peace, and kept working hard in the place God had called him.

There are times we have to step up and stand for our rights. However there are times when we step back, turn the other cheek, putting our faith in God and His promise.

A spirit of peace honors God and continues under the hand of God, His blessings follow us. Faith gives us that peace.

~~~

Little would I know how applicable point one would be in the coming weeks. In current retrospect I suppose I should be prepared on point three in the coming months!