It was a blessing to have Pastor Alvin share with us about his work at MissionGTA in the city of Toronto. For those who missed it, Pastor Alvin gave us insight into the journey that he’s been on with God over the past 32 years in the area of reconciliation and unity in the church. It began in 1992, when Pastor Alvin was filled with the Spirit, and continued all the way until today with God moving among the Brethren and Alliance churches, among the police force in Toronto, through a Native church plant, and in many other ways. Of course, no one tells the story like Pastor Alvin, so listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/live/VVucdatKslc?si=NDfTo659TPo2dWoq&t=4596
There were a couple of insights from Pastor Alvin’s message that stood out to me. Pastor Alvin spoke from John 17:20-26, which is a passage from Jesus’s High Priest prayer. Jesus prays that we the church would be one, saying that we’ve been given the glory that the Father gave to Jesus. Pastor Alvin shared about how it’s the glory of God within us that unifies us and keeps us together as the body of Christ. One way that we recognize the unity within the body is when God brings people across our path that we seem to connect with easily – it’s because the glory of God that is within us is reflected within them as well.
One of the most amazing ways that we’ve been blessed at LifeSpring is to have amazing people come and pour into our church family. Pastor Alvin mentioned Joe Ozawa who came in 1992, and I can think of so many people since then who have been a blessing to us. In fact, Dr. Siang Yang Tan, who is visiting us this weekend, was the first pastor (part-time) of LifeSpring back in the 1980s, and he continues to be a blessing to us today! I think God will continue to bring partners alongside us in our journey as a church family, people who will reflect the glory of God to us in how we are able to relate and connect with them.
Another thing that stood out to me was the value of patient endurance. Pastor Alvin shared that his journey began over 30 years ago when he was filled with the Spirit. Since then, he’s been walking with the Lord in this area of unity and reconciliation, and is now seeing some amazing fruit. But that fruit is the culmination of over 30 years of prayer and sowing. I’m reminded through Pastor Alvin about the importance of faithfulness on our journey. Just like what we’re learning as we memorize James 1:2-4, we need perseverance so that we can be mature and complete.
I’m reminded of something Dr. Siang Yang mentions often when he visits LifeSpring. We often want to do great things for God, but what we need is to simply do things for a great God. Our aim is not to achieve great things, but to be faithful to God in every season of of lives. Perhaps there’s an area where God is calling you to persevere today. If so, make a fresh commitment to be faithful to God in that area.
And please continue to keep Pastor Alvin and MissionGTA covered in prayer as God continues to open doors for them!