PASTOR SIMON ENG MESSAGE - THE CALL OF GOD

[Hope Quito, Ecuador South America, Sunday Service]

Hi, it’s time again to renew for our June Advance Magazine. I want to convey and share with you some different, interesting and exciting things as well. Firstly, let me just share about one of the Global Conference lessons that we had in Kuching in May 2009. I remember sharing the first lesson about the theme on ‘Leadership that Lasts’. We learnt about leaders who last the distance, leaders who lasts through the entire race and finally receive the reward.

Pastor Simon Eng Video Message

Teaching from "Leadership that Last" Global Conference in Kuching

1. The Call of God

Brothers and sisters, I want to encourage you regarding the call of God. When we respond to the Lord, when we come into the Kingdom of God, I want to encourage every one of you to really sovereignly realise that God has placed a call on our life. It’s not just an ordinary call; it’s a call that is unique and an individual one for your life. It’s just like the anointing oil that Moses used in the tabernacle to anoint the priests. It was made with a special blend; it was made with a special concoction with only that oil to be used to anoint the priests.

Brothers and sisters, you and I have been called and chosen by God to serve him in order to fulfil God’s call and God’s plan for our lives.

I want to encourage you to not be like Esau and sell away your birthright. If you sold away the birthright like Esau, you have lost God’s call; God’s anointing he wants for you that he made for you specially and individually for your life.

John 15:16 (New International Version)

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

[Pastor Simon ministry in Hope Adeliade (photos)]

2. Serve God with a willing heart

I remember sharing at that lesson also that we must serve God with willing hearts. In order to last the distance, in order to finish the race well, we’ve got to be people who serve continually with willing hearts. Not grudgingly, not unwillingly but with joy, with the fruit of the Holy Spirit, we continue to serve the Lord with such a determination in our lives that our hearts will continue to carry us through the entire race.

2 Timothy 4:7 (New International Version)

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

[Hope Hong Kong Annual Camp (photos)]

3. Count the costs

Brothers and sisters, I also want to remind you that in order for us to last the distance, we also need to count the costs. Count your costs daily. Jesus said to pick up our cross daily to walk after him, to walk with him, to continually follow after him. A lot of things happen in our lives that distract us, that challenge us, sometimes they are very personal things, and sometimes there are things that are external of us. Sometimes it is a situation, it is the people around us, that force us to give up the call of God, give up this race of God. But brothers and sisters, I want to challenge and encourage each one of us to really come to the Lord and really count the cost. Jesus says it very well: we must be willing to forsake so many things in our personal lives. So brothers and sisters, once again I want to remind you from our Kuching Global Conference, we talked about leadership, leaders who will last, last the race, and last the distance. And I want to remind you again: I’d like to see you at the end at the finishing line, I’d like to see you at the end of the race where you and I will greet each other and receive the reward from God. Amen! So keep that lesson in mind, refresh yourself again on our recent main Global Conference and the many lessons that teach us about leadership that will last.

Matthew 6:33 (New International Version)

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Hope Kuching new church venue

Secondly, I’d like to share with you some family news. Let me just share with you some different exciting news that is happening. I’d start with Malaysia: Hope Kuching for example, is almost moving into their new building. Come August, September the building will be ready. They’re going move into their brand new facility where all the congregations are going to come together. It’s going to house about 500-600 people at least in all and they’re really growing towards 1000 people. Hope Kuching is going to be one of the churches that we are targeting with the Church Growth Department. Pastor Jeffrey is going to help us identify Hope Kuching as a church that we want to build to 1000 people.

[Ps Denis & Hai Eng, Hope Kuching (Photos)]

Hope Brisbane building a Community Centre

We also identified Hope Brisbane to be a church that will grow towards to 1000. Hope Brisbane is also in the process of getting the full approval to build their sanctuary. It’s going to be a wonderful big place. Pastor Wilson is busy planning it with his teams and the funds are almost there and they’re getting the full approval of what they want to do there. It’s going to be a magnificent community centre and a magnificent place as well.

[Hope Brisbane: Unidus Community Centre (photos)]

Hope Singapore searching a bigger venue

Hope Singapore is looking for an auditorium that can sit 2000 people. Currently, there are 4300 people attending the weekly Sunday services. Instead of running multiple services, a building will allow them to consolidate the teams and consolidate the number of services and grow further from that.

[Hope Singapore Corporate Prayer Meeting (photos)]

Hope Kuala Lumpur launch student service

In other family news, I’ll share to you about Hope Kuala Lumpur. We just took the students from the main service, more than a hundred of them, and just started the Student Service. They are all excited; it’s on a Saturday afternoon, evening. The main service on Sunday is still running strong. So everyone in our family of churches that lives in Malaysia and Asia is excited about what God is going to do among our churches as well.

[Hope Kuala Lumpur Youth Service (photos)]

Hope Germany churches at "German Fest"

German Fest is not about beer; German Fest is about the Holy Spirit. Recently, they had their German Fest which brought together almost 400 people in Stuttgart from all our churches around Germany. They came together and they celebrated. Wonderful testimonies came forth from what God did; all the wonderful things that God did. I tell you things are happening over in Germany!

Hope United Kingdom churches

Also in London as well, they held a similar festival. God is also growing Hope United Kingdom. You know our family congregation and our student congregation and our main service. Pastor PK will move around West Europe more, covering Hope churches under his direction in 8 cities. As a result, he has recently appointed Dr. Vincent Ong as Acting Executive Pastor of Hope London. Vincent's ordination will be reviewed in the end of 2009. And so together with the team in the UK, they are moving on, they’re eager, wanting to turn a new phase in church planting in Europe as well.

[Hope Ealing, United Kingdom (photos)]

Global Conference in Singapore & KL

These are some of the exciting news that is coming up. Brothers and sisters, I also want to encourage you about our upcoming Global Conference. It will be in Singapore and we are talking “Core Values”. Core Values 1 will be in Singapore in August.

Then in November, we are going to talk about Core Values 2 which will be held in Kuala Lumpur. It’s going to be held together with our Malaysian National Convention which will bring together about almost 2000 people. This time in November, it’s going to be an international gathering as well. Our leaders all over the world will join us. I invite you, keep these dates available. Ask your local pastor; ask your regional pastors, “What are the dates? I want to get there. I want to be there in Singapore. I want to be there in Malaysia, in Kuala Lumpur for the next convention as well.”

North American Camp in Seattle, USA

There is further news about my travels. In the first week of July 2nd -5th, I’m going to the North American Camp. We’re going to bring our American and Canadian churches together: from cities on the American West coast to the East Coast. So we’re going to gather and I’m going to have a wonderful time camping in Seattle.

[Pastor Chai preaching in Hope Los Angeles (Photos)]

Family trip to Russia for daughter graduation

After coming back to Seattle, I’m going on a family trip with my wife and our daughter (Sue Ee) who has been studying in Russia, who will be graduating in mid-July. She’s going to be a medical doctor. Praise God! Six years of the grace of God and the provision of God, how God has enabled our family to miss her for six years, but God enabled her to succeed. She’s been actively serving God there and actively going to church and she’s going to be a wonderful contributor to our Hope family as well.

Europe Leaders Conference in Berlin

After coming back in July, I’m going to head to Europe for the Europe Leaders Conference (6th -8th August). That’s just before the Singapore Global Conference. I’m going to have an exciting and busy two months ahead of me. Please pray for me - I request of you and I really need your prayer support and intercession for all our churches, for myself and my family. As I travel, may God’s grace be upon me. As I minister, the anointing of God will enable me to build many more people in our movement, release many more people in ministry. I’m excited about what God is going to do.

HIM news in Advance Newsletter & Blog

In conclusion, I’d like to mobilise you my dear brothers and sisters, all these news are documented in detail in our Advance newsletter and HIM blog. If you don’t know how to get these, ask your pastor. They will be able to help you. You can catch with some of the news in my blog as well. In there, I share about certain things that we are moving on in our movement.

Brothers and sisters, you know as we publicise all this to you, we need you to contribute your news and developments about what’s happening in your region and in your churches. Please don’t keep quiet. We are longing to hear from you.

We’d love to hear from you. We’d like to share with our entire family how and what God is doing in the midst of your region, your churches as well.

For those who have been contributing, we really want to thank you for your generous contribution in providing news, photos and writing articles for us to inform us about what’s going on.

[Nigel & Sandy in Hope Busselton, Western Australia (Photos)]

Seeking the face of God

So my dear brothers and sisters, God is doing various wonderful things around in our churches, in our family, in our movement. I want to encourage you: spend time to continue to learn from God, spend time in the Word, and listen to the different teachings and sharing of your pastors of what is happening in our various churches around the world.

Things are happening; God is doing something wonderful in our family. Let’s move on, let’s run on and let’s last till the finishing line.

God bless you, we’ll communicate with you next time round again. Amen.

Pastor Simon Eng
President of HIM