In what has been the biggest week of CHC’s existence, SOT students stood up to the spiritual challenge that lay before them.

By Clinton Dixon

CN PHOTO: Daniel Poh.

When the news broke, I was shaken. I think we were all shaken. This is my spiritual family; how could this be? I mean, Pastor Tan was only just teaching us on Monday, and then Tuesday came and well, you know the rest. And it was a very big “the rest”. With uncertainty comes fear. Uninvited thoughts try to blindside and overwhelm. Self-serving questions search for answers and vice versa. I thought, what could I do? Worry, fear, stress? Is this of God? No way! It was a call to prayer and that call was felt churchwide.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12 NKJV).

Already a hotbed of prayer and intercession, the atmosphere at class the next day rose to new spiritual heights as the presence of God was felt thick four levels down in Jurong West. Praise, worship and prayer intensified as the unified saints incessantly pressed into God for breakthrough for our pastors and church staff. It was a sight to behold as 500-plus students from all over Asia and the world prayed like their life depended on it. It was stirring, faith-lifting and an absolute honor to be part of such a powerful move of God.

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death (Revelation 12:11 NKJV).

The sense of unity within the church over the last week has been remarkable and this has been no more evident than in the thousands of postings on the Testimonies from the hearts of City Harvest Church Facebook page. In less than a week, it had amassed more than  13,000 members who openly shared their heartfelt testimonies about what the blood of Jesus had done in their lives, and how the very real, practical love of God came through for them, in the form of their cell group leaders and members. Testimony after testimony witness to an unbelieving world of the lives have been rebuilt and redeemed by Christ at CHC.

Ultimately, as the church faces down what would seem insurmountable in the physical, I am reminded time and time again the miracle of answered prayer. This call to prayer for CHC has never been stronger; let this be your call.

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18 NKJV).

As John Wesley once said, “God does nothing except in answer to prayer.”