Easter

Location: Kuala Lumpur.
The day before Easter this year, I sent a sms to Hew to tell him that I wanted to go to Calvary Church for its Easter worship service. He replied by telling me that there would be no Easter worship service at the church cos they would hold a Sunrise Easter worship service at Bukit Jalil Stadium at 6 am. I knew I wouldn’t be able to make it because of the time and location.

So, I had to move on to plan B. I sent a sms to Isaac. Problem solved. I would go to Community of Praise for its Easter worship service at 10am. Yeah, I am a church hopper. Hehehe. You see, I used to attend two different churches when I was in Johor in March this year. On Sunday mornings, I would go to Calvary Charismatic Church for its Sunday Worship Service, in the evenings, I would go to Holy Light Church. Oh yeah, I was baptized on 8 March this year by Pastor Rajan and Pastor Beoy from Calvary Charismatic Church in Johor.

Ok, let’s get back to the story, so my brother was really sweet cos he sent me to Ampang Point to meet up with Isaac. Blessed is the one who finds joy in helping others. Isaac came to Ampang Point to meet up with me cos I had forgotten the way to the church. There, I met Sanju. Ian, an Australian, came to greet me cos he remembered seeing me there before. Sanju is from Nepal and Isaac is from Ghana. This was the third time I met up with them. We first met in Cameron Highlands in June 2005.

The Easter worship service was started with songs of Worships. Surprisingly, there was a dance performance by the youths, singing by the children and a sketch by the youths. Isaac took part in the sketch. The air was filled with laughter and joy. Everyone dressed up prettily to celebrate Easter. In deed, on Easter, Christ is risen.

The sermon was delivered by an African man dressed in African traditional costume, really cool. (So sorry, I didn’t get his name.). I remember I laughed a lot cos he was so humorous. You see, Community of Praise is this little church started by the expat community around Ampang. I had never seen so many Africans in a church before. During the sermon, he said: “We murmur because we didn’t claim what Christ is able to do.”

To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”
When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”
"Yes, Lord,” they replied.
Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you, and their sight was restored. (Matthew 9:27-29)

That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. (2 Timothy 1:2)

Everyone stayed back after the service to have Easter buffet lunch sponsored by a few of the church members. I remember at one point this Caucasian lady gave me a big hug. I chatted with Sanju and Isaac before I made a move. Thanks to Community of Praise for accommodating me, the sudden visitor.

It has been two months since I last attended Sunday worship service. Whenever I attended a sunday worship service and listened to the sermon, I felt my spirit was lifted up as high as the Petronas Twin Tower. This is the power of God's word. It can calm the sea, raise the dead, heal the sick and repair a broken heart. I really miss going to church. Despite of saying that, christianity is a lifestyle, attending Sunday worship service is just part of it. What is church, church is not the building. Church is the body of Christ. Our bodies are the temple of God. His spirit dwells in us. So, listen to Hism word and have it deeply rooted in our hearts.