Tuesday, May 17, 2016

College Fund, Tambourines & War Dance

This morning I spoke on several things concerning the College. First, I gave thanks to God on behalf of the College community for His blessings on the College. When I was praying early this morning before Chapel I received a message that a church which we visited in KK several weeks ago would donate three grass cutters and RM2,000.00 for the purchase of books for the library beside the love gift they collected for the College during the service. Last week, another person donated RM2,000 to the College where I invited him to the Open Day. Our visit to Sandakan where three of my colleagues and I preached in 4 SIB churches also brought more than RM3,000.00 for the College Fund. I wonder how the College had survived for 51 years without regular income or contribution. It has been living by faith of all these years but I intend to see to that the financial state of the College is strengthened to accomplish the many things we have planned for. Next I spoke about restoring worship by citing the verse on "restoring the tabernacle of David" in Acts 15:15 a quotation from Amos 9's prophecy. I noted that in SIB churches we are fond of tambourine dance but it has become almost ritualistic and practically a show without much purpose and passion.
So I expound on Isaiah 30:31-33 where the Lord battled against Assyrians with the accompaniment of tambourines and harps. As I had borrowed a tambourine during yesterday's rehearsal I showed how a tambourine could be played with passion and purpose. It is war, a war dance against the enemies of the Lord during worship as the Lord moves powerfully among His people, to bless, restore and to heal. I also cited a verse from Song of Songs where the Shulamite girls dance the war dance tari-tarian perang, "mahanaim" perhaps with tambourines. So the act of worship is an act of war, war against the enemy, principalities and powers of darkness in high places.

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