Giving thanks for 2012

This is what I shared on Watch Night service on 31 Dec 2012.

2012 ended with a bad note. Crimes against humanity topped the list, The savage attack on 27 adults and kids in Connecticut, USA, was the most painful tragedy. Sexual and financial scandals implicated many people, especially leaders, in both the private and civil sectors in Singapore. Church leaders were hauled to the courts. Of course the infamous savage attack on the 23 year old student in New Delhi, which eventually led to her death, dampened many New Year celebrations in India. 

Whatever the setbacks, disappointments and failures, one this is for sure. God has been faithful and merciful through out the year. Many good things happened in 2012. Some of them are:

• Indonesia is reporting 15% of Christians in the country
• China has more Christians than more members in the communist party
• About 87,000  people are turning to Christ on a daily basis.
• More than 500 churches are being built daily all over the world.

Personally, I can summarize 2012, by echoing the words of the Psalmist in Psalms 103: 1-5 : Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

 Ministry had its challenges. Many times, I felt like in the same situation as King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20. Surrounded by "enemies" on all sides, no one to look up to, very trying situations.

• Many people left our church.
• So many negative things were said about the church leadership, What was painful, it came from within the church who don’t even lift a finger to do anything in God’s House. 
• We had people from within the church and outside who dragged us into the mud.
• Our church records was deeply scrutinized. We had to face relentless questioning by government officials.
• There was the threat that the government will close down the church. 
• The moral was low. 
• Finances began to dwindle.

 But  the word of the Lord came to the king:

Verse 15 - “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.

God fought the battles for us in 2012:

• There were people who wanted to see us destroyed. But Praise God, we have not been destroyed. 2 Cor 4:8-9 - We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;  persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
• Those in the leadership stood by and made hard decisions.We want to thank God for Pst John Daniel who came here in the right time to see us through the mess.
• When people left and in some months our finances dropped to unparalleled levels, but our financial income has been the highest so far in PEC’s history.
• We have two people who came forward to service in the full-time capacity. 
• We built and dedicated 16 new churches in India, more than any other year before. Not many churches in Singapore can claim this credit.
• We needed $25,000 for the Shadrach Home. God provided the amount in two weeks.
• Although our main sponsor pulled out, we were able to give more to the mission field this year compared to the previous years. We never defaulted in our missions commitment.
• We made so many renovations. There was much expenditure but still we have more reserves this year compare to any other year.
• We extended our mission work to Nepal and Charttissgarh and have even see the first fruits.
• We built the first church in Tamil Nadu and Bhutan.
• We had the largest number of people going on mission trip this year compared to any other year.    
• God opened doors to go into Mongolia and the Philippines, in addition to Thailand, Malaysia, India, Nepal, Bhutan. In India the doors were opened to go into Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Sikkim.

Isn't God good? Doesn't He deserve the praise?  He fought our battles.

I also want to thank God for my family (the only ones who knew what we went through),   many people who prayed for us, stood by us and supported us in the mission field and in the church.  We praise God for all our workers in the mission field and every one who cared to encourage us along the way.

 Verse 27-28 :Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the Lord had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies. They entered Jerusalem and went to the temple of the Lord with harps and lyres and trumpets.

Glory and Honor and Praise to our ever living God. Amen.