We Are The Gideons Of Today

The G12 Conference was a wealth of revelations for all who attended. The degree of energy one felt at the Conference was breathlessly intoxicating. With the attendance numbering in the thousands, it was truly a day of worship, deliverance and anointing. Not only was the presence of God at the Max Pavilion electrifying, but also nothing truly prepared me for the tsunami of emotions I felt on the third and only day I attended the Conference.

The sermons delivered by the pastors on the third day indeed opened my eyes and ears to the biblical knowledge that God wants to impart to us. However, what struck me most on that day was Pastor Art’s reminder that we are the Gideons of today.

In Judges 6:1-10, we know that the Israelites worshipped false Gods and hence suffered at the hands of the Midianites when they lost God’s favour. When they cried out to the Lord for help, God sent a messenger to Gideon, a young and idealistic Israelite. “When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, The Lord is with you, mighty warrior” (Judges 6:12). Beset by sin and moral indignity, we were rescued when Jesus redeemed us with His blood and made us into warriors of Christ. God has thus made us powerful to reach out to the powerless. However, He also reminded me of an incident that occurred to me early last year.

As a full-time national serviceman, I am a combat engineer by vocation. A few days after the Boxing Day Tsunami struck, I got a call from my sergeant asking for volunteers to go to Aceh. Fearing inconveniences and my parents’ objection to it, I refused the offer. However, the Lord never allowed me to forget the suffering of thousands in a faraway land while I lived in oblivion and luxury. Day after day, I saw the pictures and testimonials of that ghastly disaster in the papers and on one particular day, I was overwhelmed by it all and broke down in tears. The Lord said to me when I prayed that night, “Why are you still holding back? Go”.

Two weeks later, there was another call for volunteers to go with the third wave and I volunteered myself with little deliberation although I knew that there was no way I could withdraw my name. However, the third wave never materialized when the Indonesian government put a moratorium on SAF troop deployment in Aceh.

Although I didn’t go, I knew that the moment I volunteered, I was already justified in the eyes of the Lord. The burden and regret of not responding to the initial call had been removed like a heavy load off my chest but when I submitted my name, I had already made a promise to God that I will move out of my comfort zone and go into the nations to serve. This year, I will fulfill that promise by going on at least one mission trip overseas. To borrow a quote from Pastor Art, “It takes a dream to wake up your faith and takes faith to reach your dreams”.

Many times, we have forgotten the pain of the multitudes. There are people out there whose lives need God’s grace and miracles. God made us mighty in the valor so we may become Gideons to reach out to these people. He sees us as his champions. Each and every one of us has a calling and purpose in His Kingdom.

Love is the only thing that makes us want to move from where we are to where we need to go. At the G12 Conference, God pried away the scaffoldings of our lives to reveal our vulnerabilities beneath our daily comforts and told us to go all out to serve. If we truly love the people out there, we must be prepared to make the necessary sacrifices. The question is: Are we willing to believe in the Lord who believes in us?

Written by:
Kenny Tan
Joshua’s 12