Friday 17 August 2007

Special Delivery

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Romans 16:1-16 (NIV)
Personal Greetings

1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea. 2 I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many people, including me.

3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus. 4 They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.
5 Greet also the church that meets at their house.
Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia.
6 Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you.
7 Greet Andronicus and Junias, my relatives who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.
8 Greet Ampliatus, whom I love in the Lord.
9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys.
10 Greet Apelles, tested and approved in Christ.
Greet those who belong to the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.
12 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord.
Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord.
13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.
14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the brothers with them.
15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the saints with them.
16 Greet one another with a holy kiss.
All the churches of Christ send greetings.
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Lord Jesus till today I am still disturbed over what happened a few days ago. Somehow the hurtful words are still lingering on in my mind, refusing to let go. As I dwell, some relationships seems to start falling apart, and I have no idea if it’s purely my own illusion or is it a reality. But Lord, I'm reminded of Your goodness and faithfulness, when I receive comfort from other friends who support me in this time of spiritual drought.

I would like to commend sister Geraldine, who called me up with concern, to talk me out which made me feel better. To sister Yan Bin, who listened patiently and provide very sound advice to the situation at hand. To sister Raphaela, who sent me an encouraging SMS of Your love and blessing.

While I slowly recover from the affliction Lord, I pray that my heart will continue to pursue You in faithfulness. Teach me to be like Job, who will continue to have faith and trust in You even through the hardest of times. I know my situation pales in comparison to Job’s, but I believe we are all tested during different levels of our faith, and probably this is my test on a small scale.

Through this experience Father, let me learn more about You. I believe through my weakness, I will experience Your strength. Through my foolhardiness, I will experience Your wisdom. Through humility, I will learn to obey Your will. I know You'll forever be my guide, and I continue to trust You Lord, no matter how adverse the circumstances.

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