Devotional on 20 Jan 2017

 Once a month, we hold a BT devotional.  We held our first 2017 devo at Connie's home and shared the common Church's objective this year: 5-4 Movement 五四運動 -  “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch. Luke 5:4 ; and update what I have been getting up with our Happiness Projects.   

1.  5-4 Movement, to me, is divided into 3 tiers :- Individual with God; intra-BT relationship and Within the Single ministry.

a. Glad to see each of us are keen on fostering individual relationship with God by all means:-  Sandy and I will develop a secret place to stay tuned to God and often have a dialouge with Him.  From CS Lewis who answered my question : How do I go about spending more time with God and he further confirmed me, "Jesus answered!"  GO TO THE SECRET PLACE!  This is the place where you pour all your inside out before HIM.

Then what do we do there?  Jesus said, "Go and pray."  Matthew 6:6 This is spending time with God.  We shouldn't make our greatest effort and time with God all about petition an intercession - but simple fellowship with Him.  Ask Him to reveal to me new facets about Him and Heaven not as an insight for problem solving; but for me to step away from the earth for a while and rest in the awesome glory of His presence and His Kingdom.   

CS Lewis remarked this as an oxymoron : We experience the spacious ground as we are cramped in the Secret Place with God. 

Similarly, Sandy decided to treat God special and squeeze time with Him at least once a week especially on Saturdays.  She will cut down her workload so to have solitude with God.  And she decided to foster relationship (afterall, religion comes from the word - relationship) via dinners with unfamiliar sisters.  Finally she will do more exercise and join the swimming club again to boost up her energy.

Linda asked herself if she is ready to go to deeper water and evangelize!  Hold on...she is not really ready -- her answer.  But the shift of a new job struck her to think about an ex-colleague, Yanni, whom keeps her updated from time to time.  She decided to pray for Yanni that she will one day open up her heart to God.  She continues to declutter her stuffs.

Sarah finds a new place alone or with friends/sisters to stay close to God.  Decluttering continues though slowly both physically and mentally.  Focus to pray for some friends, Sammy, Jenny etc. to seek God with a heart.

Connie will make use of the family gathering on Day 2 Lunar New Year as a chance to evangelize and share some bible scriptures.  Pray for her son!

   A rough mind map of sisters' update of Happiness Project

Apart from 1st tier, we hope to understand and foster deeper relationship with BT sisters.  Once bi-monthly (i.e. April, June, August, October & December) the exact birth-month/or a month preceding for each sister, the others will reserve a time slot, in particular, to deepen BT sister's relationship.  The birthday girl will introduce her most favorite activity to others and then the rest will company her without a doubt or a query.  Go and enjoy life!  

Top tier is already embedded in two lower tiers... in short, how to evangelise.  We will play a game of bowling or badminton in Feb with chosen friends.  Pray that it shines and appeals; and glorify God in return via our relationships.