Happy New Year to all in our Lord Jesus!
I can't believe that 2011 has just ended. It's been an amazing year to be sure. A LOT has happened, many changes, many sorrows, and also many joys. Floods, storms, earthquakes, tsunamis, revolutions, revolts, victories and defeats, death and destruction, and also revival and joy! These are just the amazing paradoxes of this year. In it all we can say: 'Eben-ezer...Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.' (1 Samuel 7:12b). It is really exciting and humbling to think that we live in days when history is being made. It is days in which our God and our Heavenly Father is working mighty things that we at times do not know or understand. But we can be sure, as His children, that they are always good and full of infinite wisdom. Personally I can declare that He has been faithful. 'Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and they paths drop fatness.' (Psalm 65:11). Amen! Jesus is very good!
Now a new year is before us - 2012! A new beginning and full of new opportunities to experience God's goodness and faithfulness! It is a time of making new resolutions....unfortunately, I'm very bad at keeping them! We need His grace always. My prayer for this new year, it to know the Lord Jesus more. To lose myself and find Him more. It is not always easy, but this is true life and yes, true joy. I want to spend time with Him more. I want to rely and trust Him more fully. I want to see Jesus lifted high in my life, my family, in the Church, and around the world.
At this moment, let us also remember our brothers and sisters in the Lord around the world who are suffering and are persecuted. I have in mind the sad bombings of Churches in Nigeria this past Christmas. May the Lord strengthen them and comfort them.
Tonight is also the 1st anniversary of the bombings of the Church in Alexandria, Egypt where many died and many others were injured. 12 months later, Egypt has undergone unbelievable change. The Church in Egypt has suffered a lot and yet in the midst of that darkness, the Lord Jesus shines in His people. That is a comfort for all His people everywhere. I believe that next year will bring many more changes both on the personal level and on the more general, worldwide level, some perhaps may not be what we would like to have. But through it all, He will be with us and we will see Him, if we just look up to Him and call on His name!
The following video clip has gone viral on the internet. Though you will most probably never see it on the normal media. It happened a few weeks ago in Cairo, Egypt in the Moukatam Cave Church, during a long 'Night of Prayer and Return to God' meeting in which at least 70,000 people attended. Earlier this year, some members of this Church experienced martyrdom during one of the many attacks on Christians this year. See what the Lord is doing.
'And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.' (Acts 2:21)
'The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.' (Proverbs 18:10)
Thousands in Egypt shout JESUS for 10 consecutive minutes. It was also totally spontaneous!
The song "Hail, Jesus, Your my King!' in Arabic while the congregation shouts JESUS!
Amen! May the Lord give us more of this worldwide in this coming new year!
Before ending, I just want say thank you to all my friends for encouraging me. This year I started blogging. It has been an amazing experience. I look forward to being blessed by all of you again this new year!
God Bless,
