There are days that start as a great special day and we feel like thanking God even more. Recently, I celebrated my birthday… But I did not have the thrill this day has come with. My brother, my sister, every day is a great day the Lord has given us to serve Him. I want to give the testimony of why this day is special to me to encourage someone in their walk with the Lord.
Today is the day Rhema RC church was officially founded… Three years ago! Yes, for some it may mean nothing, but to me it means a lot. Jesus’ ministry on earth was three years (Luke 13:7)… From the arrest to the death and resurrection of our Lord, it took three days… And three represents divine perfection. Far from rejoicing as if we have reached our destination, we in fact stop on this day to thank God for the spiritual foundation He has been laying behind the scene in Rhema RC.
Yesterday I observed a three year old child and realised that it is the age children start expressing themselves quite well, a time their character starts coming up and shaping something to become more and more real, visible. The Bible shows us many times that on the third day or the third year, something always come up from what had been in preparation: Jesus rose from the dead the third day; Saul was blinded for three days (Acts 9:9) and that transformed him. In short, every time the third day or third year was completed, the Bible shows us that the days or years preceding were for a preparation that comes to an end for the activities on the third day or third year to start. Hence my joy, because I am convinced that the Lord has started something favorable in Rhema RC from this day!
My friends, the last three years have not been easy. Being a woman and a single mother in a ministry has not been easy. I have heard everything I could possible not have imagined. But I never lost my smile or good humour, even once. I never doubted my calling even once, because I cling to the One I trust and who is my judge. Yes, over the three past years, I faced hypocrisy, betrayals, personal ambitions, loneliness, accusations, gossips, lying, slander (and it’s not finished, I know)… But I am still standing and the Lord has strengthened me even more than before by teaching to depend on Him alone, which increased my faith. At the deepest moments when all the church members left, after eleven month in service, I never closed the church hall, but kept trusting in the one who had called me, preaching to empty chairs (except for my two wonderful sons who have always been there) for more about four months. God is really faithful. For me to pay for the hall, He sent my sister and a friend to send me an offering to support the ministry the first month! Then a young convert who had left returned and God used Him to bring people to church while he did not even know the Word of God. And today, all the members of the church, in a way, came through that one person, as one person brought another, etc…. Oh, God is Good, my friends. Don’t be impatient. Learn to wait on Him.
You see, in the deepest of your solitude or doubt, know that until you realise that you are not alone, because the Spirit of God is with you, you will always be desperate, doubtful or make rash decisions. More than a year ago, the Lord gave me peace in this ministry and that peace I cherish because it has carried me day by day. That peace is “I am not alone, He is with me always”. My friend be encouraged in your walk with the Lord, put your faith in things above because circumstances can lie … But God is never wrong. If I had looked at the circumstances, Rhema RC would never have reached one year when the Lord allowed all the members that I invited myself to church (my friends and family) to leave in order to bring those He Himself wanted to be here… Three years on, Rhema RC is still standing… And we are moving forward as the Lord is empowering many faithful among us to help carry the vision of His church. Our website has been visited by about 2000 people a month and without having advertised our new internet radio, we have been able to reach out to people in about 30 countries in two months. God is faithful, my friend. Yes, this is a great day to serve the Lord. May this testimony encourage you in your service to the Lord, especially when you go through difficult times and even if you are not serving Him, waiting on Him. He is faithful and He is never late. Stay blessed in Jesus’ name.