Choose God | Rachel Ann

You're listening to a message to go from acts church.

We hope this message will light up your tea.

But today's my message is choose God and choose life. Okay,

and I want us to read this verse together.

How many have you got your bibles? Any Sharon got

new bible already?

Ah, pasisenda, give you a new bible.

Okay, show me your bibles.

Come on, we still want to bring your own bible

to church because if at home, you don't have chance

to flip your bible, at least on Sunday.

Once you get to flip your bible.

Okay, let's turn to Deuteronomy, chapter thirty, verse eleven to twenty.

Once your day can say, Amen, eron still with me?

You are you encouraged.

By what you hear what's happening in our other churches?

I mean God is, God is working, God is moved.

I mean I also encouraged to hear about what IPG

is doing is amazing the teachers. I mean you hear

from like Qui more quiet to meet girls like Angeli.

One of the girls that Angeli. I tell you she's

she's really making waves where she is Whaila Pila, I

don't even know where that is, okay, very far away.

But her students she's a teacher now, she's a graduate

from IPG and students are like knocking on her door

a now soon, like they want to know about her. God,

that's the latest testimony. She was like, she's so tired,

she doesn't want her to come, but she's looking. They

invited the bright Kentucky. She can all come to her

house to hear from her, to spend time with her,

and one thing to know about Christ. Because she shit,

I don't know they hurt her testimony somewhere. But yeah,

these are our teachers. Okay, are you there? I give

you some time to find Yeah, all right, let's read it, amen.

But eleven says, for this commandment which I command you

today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it

far off. It is not in heaven that you should say,

who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it

to us that we may hear it and do it?

Nor is it beyond the.

Sea that you should say, who will go over the

sea for us and bring it to us that we

may hear it and do it. But the word is

very near you, in your mouth and in your heart.

That you may do it Verse fifteen. Sea I said

before you today life and good, death and evil. In

that I command you today to love the Lord your God,

to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments,

his statues, his judgments, and you may live and multiply,

And the Lord your God will bless you in the

land which you go to possess verse seventeen. But if

your heart turns away so that you do not hear,

and are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them,

I announce to you today that you shall surely perish.

You should not prolong your days in the land which

you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess.

Nine.

I call Heaven and Earth as witnesses today against you

that I've set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore,

choose life, that both you and your descendants may live,

that you may love the Lord your God, that you

may obey his voice, and that you may cling to

him for his your life and the length of your days.

And that you may dwell in the land.

Which the Lord swore to your father's to Abraham, Isaac

and Jacob, and give them Man God bless the reading

of his world. Now I shows this passage because I

want us to hear. You know, I shared a bit

of Chiang Mai and a lot of testimonies that came

out from me, But this one that's very significant and

one that's very close to my heart is well, I

want you to hear the testimony from this precious person.

Actually a couple of testimony, but the wife will be

sharing because they went through one of the most painful

and challenging times of their lives.

That's far Is it right to say that?

Yeah?

This year especially, the wife gave away the picture spoiler,

and yet in the pain in the grief, it's okay

ken can can can't put a picture.

And yet in the pain in the grief, in.

The unplanned expenditure expenses that they come up with, they

chose to choose God, they chose life. And I want

you to hear because there's nothing more powerful than hearing

a personal testimony. I can share, you know, I can

read the Bible verses on and on, but he hear

it from someone who's experienced God, experienced life.

So come on, at all, why don't you share your story?

Whom?

Hi?

Everyone, I'm at all from KK seven Richard and Albert

so happened to be my homes leader. So in December

last year, after Christmas, my husband and my husband Roy

and I were we found out that we were expecting

our first child. And for me, it was a little

bit unexpected because we only started trying for a short while.

We were not us but we're happy and joyful for

this precious gift that God has given to us. So

I thought it was the best Christmas gift I've ever

received in my whole life. So for the first trimester

I went to the clinic for prenatal checks or was okay.

But in March, at week thirteen of my pregnancy, right

after my first trimester, I went to a hospital for

my first prenatal check. The guyany, the Guyanny noticed something

was wrong and immediately sent us to a Fitter medicine specialist.

So the specialist told us that our baby has a

condition known as hydrops. Fitter lists so it's a severe

feather condition where fluid is accumulated in the baby's body

making it swell up and upon further checking, it is

shown that the baby's heart was not formed properly, among

other issues. So all these are due to most likely

due to genetic issues, so as such, I would most

likely not be able to carry my baby to futum.

Even if I did, the baby will likely not survive

long after birth or it will be a severely disabled child.

So due to.

The poor prognosis, we were told to terminate the pregnancy.

Of course, our hearts broke. We share the news with

our parents as well as our homes leader Rachel Albert

and Pastor Sandra, and of course everyone prayed for us.

We talk about a week to pray and I was

begging God to heal my child. In the meantime, we

consulted another Guyanea, and she also gave the same unservices

to terminate. So after a week we went back to

see my first guyane I was praying my heart that

you know my child is healed the ultrasound. But then

also at the same time, I told God that if

the ultrasound scanced you show the same issue, then I'll

follow the doctor's recommendation to we of Coursa. I was

hoping for something else. Unfortunately, the scans still show the

same result, so with an extremely havy heart, we chose

to terminate the pregnancy. So on March ten this year,

I lost my first chart. When I received the bad

news from the specialist, I was devastated, but at the

same time, I put my trust in God. In my heart,

two words kept repeating itself. Choose God. Whatever the choice

is to terminate or not to terminate, choose God. So

even though the whole medical termination termination was rather brutal

and traumatic, I will spare you the gory details, I

have to kind of naturally give birth to the baby.

But then, even though it was bad, but I believe

that God sustained us and we were rather calm and

to a certain extent peaceful. After the medical procedure, I

went through the wildest color coaster right of my life.

Even though I choose God, I still went through many

chi others. I had to deal with a huge mixture

of negative emotions pain, grief, hurt, guilt, and confusion. I

was also feeling hopeless and broken by the choice I

had to make. I was so ashamed because I felt

like I murdered my own child, the gift that God

gave me. I couldn't face God and I wanted to

hide myself away. But my homes and harder leader Richard

n told me not to run away from God. The

more we feel like running away, the more we should

run towards Him. And so I came before God and

I pour out my heart to him. I told him

how I felt, and I asked for forgiveness for the

choice I had to make, which is to terminate the pregnancy.

This whole year, in different stages and seasons, God actually

taught me many valuable lessons, which each lessons has his

own mini story. So it's a long story which I

hope I get to share with you another day hopefully.

But in summary, throughout this year, I felt God's love

for me. He brought me to a journey of experiencing

his love, faithfulness, hope, and grace. He also taught me

to summit and surrender to Him and trust him completely

with my life. It hasn't been an easy journey. I

was very depressed for a very long time, to the

point where I refused to get out of the house

unless it is absolutely necessary, and I was even considering

seeking professional counseling. Many times I questioned God and doubted him.

I often wonder why this whole incident has to happen

to me, But oh God is gracious, and over and

over again I experienced his patient teaching and guidance in

my life. Through this journey, I see that my faith

in God is deepened and my relationship with Him is closer.

So how does this tie into Changmi? So shortly after

my medical procedure in March, Roy saw the registration form

for various mission trips. He noticed that the trip to

Changmi coincided with my year end school holiday. For context,

I'm a teacher, so I can only travel during school holiday,

So it happened that the trip was at the beginning

of my school holiday, so he wanted to sign up

for it. Oh, at the same time, our homes actually

adopted Chiang Mai uh. So he wanted to sign up

for it. But I was a bit hesitant because at

the time I felt I wasn't in the right place

to go and minister to people because I was still

very depressed. Actually, throughout the whole year. Right after we

sign up, a lot of time I wanted to pull out.

Then I remember I told Rachel Albert about it. Then

I didn't there already. I scared Albert throw his dumble

me kidding, kidding, king, But yes, I didn't. So anyways,

we sign up, I mean he he convinced me to

sign up last, so eventually I did, so we sign

up in the end. So around October, during our first

mission meeting, we were told to prepare a testimony to share,

and immediately I felt a strong prompting from God to

share this story. Our shock horrified even and I started

arguing with God. It didn't make sense to me. Who

wants to hear such a sad story? Right? And at

the same time, it was a very personal and painful

journey for me, and it was and still is hard

for me to talk about it. So I had a

very long argument with God, and the Gideon in me

is asking God for confirmation. After confirmation, he gave it

again and again through various people, and so, of course,

without much surprise, I lost the argument, of course, and

I submitted to God's instruction to tell the story. So

up until the day I was due to share the testimony,

which was during the service Sunday service in Chang Mai,

I was very nervous and I was still questioning God.

I was afraid that the prompting I felt was forced

and it was all just my imagination. Moreover, I taught

sharing such a sad story is a taboo and a discouragement. Somehow, somehow,

somewhere did in my heart. I just felt that someone

needed to be reminded of God's great love, hope, faithfulness

and grace for us, even in the midst of a

huge storm. And so I pluck up all my courage

and I shared my testimony. So after the service, we

had a session with the young families there, and one

of the sisters open up and shared about her struggles

of one thing to serve God, but illness was preventing

her from doing so. She shared about how she felt

so lost and hopeless about being ill and in pain.

As she shared, I heard the Lord say to me,

this is the reason why I wanted you to share

your story right there. And then I thank God with

all my heart that I obeyed. Later on that night,

during the barbecue party which Rachel showed us now at

one of the partner's house, I had the opportunity to

encourage her using my story and reminding her of God's

love for us, and we pray for her, and I

praise God again and again that I was given the

opportunity to minister to her. I'm not perfect. Of course,

I still question God. I still argue with him obviously

until today. I still grieve for the child that I lost.

So Roy and I have been trying for some time

to have another child, and the journey hasn't been easy either.

I would get impatient and at times I wanted to

give up, but I would hear God challenge me to

trust in him completely and to turn my eyes upon him.

I also learned to be content with my current life

and live in the present instead of the past. In

Philippins chapter four, the oppostle Paul reminded us to be

content in every situation through the strength provided by God.

I'm surrounded by many people who love me. They celebrate

with me when the days are good, and they pray

for me and encourage me when the day days are hard.

As such, I am content. So instead of listening to

the world, God is challenging me to listen to Him,

abide in him, and wait upon Him. In Ecclesiasts, chapter three,

verse eleven, I got it right, I got it wrong.

In Changmi Okay, it says that God has made everything

beautiful in its time. I see these in various lessons

he patiently taught me throughout this year, and his divine

arrangement for me to go to Changmi and minister to

that one sister there. I marveled at how God turned

my battles into blessings for others. As such, I continue

to choose to trust God and He's perfect timing, and

when the time is right and everything comes together, I

know that it will be beautiful. Going on the mission

trip was really eye opening. I was preparing myself to

minister to the people in chiang Mai. Who knows it

was the other way around. I felt I was ministered

to buy them more than I minister to them. I

see the passion and the love that have for good

and the community around them, and it was so inspiring

to see how they put in there all to spread

God's word and love. Whatever they have they gave, just

like the first church in the Book of Acts. I

was so touched by the work they were doing, and

I thank God for sending me there to see all

these And somehow this trip has also become part of

my healing journey. And so in conclusion, all that is

said and done is to choose God and trust God

in every season of your life, good or bad, whether

it makes sense or not, always choose God, trust him

and obey him because nothing will go wrong when you

choose God and go in the direction that he tells

you to go. You may not see the big picture now,

but when you do trust me, it is going to

be so beautiful. And also sign up for missions public

service announcement. You will be blessed more than you can

ever imagine when you step off your comfort zone and

do God's work.

May all go already onto God. Thank you, Yeah, man,

a man is so good. Thank you for sharing. Thought

I didn't get to hear it. There's a testimony in

Changwai when she shared because I was with the kids,

of because I read it beforehand. But it's it's so God.

It's so good, isn't it. God knows. God knows before

we do anything. Ah, And he's yeah, he's just out

to to minister to us, to bless us, to heal us.

And like she said, you know, I mean she said, yeah,

she's more minister too. But hey, the lady there was

also minister to the church. Was also encouraged because you know,

they have every right and every excuse to not even

go right going through this, but yeah, it's so good.

And I told her after she shared as many ature,

I can do auto call and close the services here,

y'all go for lunch.

No, but I will just close us with four points?

Is that? Okay?

Drawing from her story and from from God's word and

these four points is really on how do we choose

God daily and in every moment of our lives?

You know?

And and I think these points are so basic. You know,

it's our words who have been in the faith. I

know all this ready, Rachel, don't need to tell me,

but we sometimes you know it, but we don't live it.

We need to live it.

And I want to remind us to live it. And

we can't get the fundamentals right right? How do we

how do we move on to greater things? Okay, so

let's start off with the first point? How do we

choose God? Number one simple? Love the Lord your God.

It says in verse fifteen. Right. See, I said before

you today life and good, death and evil, and then

I command you today to love the Lord your God,

to walk in his ways. The first thing is to love,

to love God? And how do we love him? It

really is in that next part of the verse, love

the Lord your God, to walk in his ways and

to keep his commandments. I think when we love, when

we love someone, not those of you who are I

don't think anyone your dating are mostly marriedly, those are

Marriadly you remember days when you or maybe we don't know, Yeah,

maybe we don't know. Get those are day thing. Those

who used to date hopefully still day thing.

You're married.

But when you love someone, you want to hear from them, right,

You want to hear what they have to say. Those

you remember those days, like checking messages or someone's.

Way back checking.

Oh what did he say in the email? Or snail mail?

It's not maybe snail mail writ thing Passengerys say you

used to write letters? Oh yeah, you guys now writes

what's a letter? The only time you write is actually

in school, So I don't know whether you're writing now.

Everything left up really stems and stems. But we want

to hear from our love one. Right, someone we love,

we want to hear what they have to say. So

excited message coming or what do they say? Nixt And

I believe it's the same for God. Right do we

love his words? We say, bring your own Bible.

Do we love his word? This is his love letter

to us church.

Everything about our lives, everything that He thinks of us,

is all in here. And if we really love him,

if we really love our God, we will love his word.

It's not a natural thing. I know, it's tough. It's

probably the toughest thing for all of us. It's believe

us to set the saight time to read his word daily.

It is so hard. Why because this this is spiritual warfare.

This is this is the world and the enemy trying

to steal the gift that God has given us his word,

and everything around us will district us from this. By

my encouragement as to enter into the new year as well,

can we really love him and love his word. I

want all of us to go deep. Don't just depend

on what you hear here. That's why it's not enough.

It's not enough.

Whatever you hear from the pulpit, whatever you hear online

is it's just not enough.

You need to discover God's word on your own, okay,

and to not only love his word, but to really

keep his commandments.

Everything is in here, amen. I hope you're excited to

read it every day.

Uh?

And really ask God, Lord, reveal, make make your word

exciting to me.

Yeah? Amen, And tell you what.

Ever, since I started needing to preach, and also actually

since I started, you know, really wanting to reach out

to my colleagues, et cetera, then his word actually becomes

even more because now it's not just for me. I

need a double portion for me, Lord, and then for

someone else. What can I draw from your word for

someone else? And I think if you take that approach

and you're thinking about the people you love, you know,

then God's work becomes even more excited. Think, O, God,

I need something for that person who's hurting. I need

something for that person who's unwell, who is hopeless. Okay,

that's point number one. Love the Lord your God, keep

his commandments.

Number two.

It's the next part of that verse, in verse nineteen

and twenty. I call heaven and Earth as witnesses today

against you that I've said before you, life and death again,

blessing and cursing there for truse life, that both you

and your descendants may live, that you may again love

the Lord your God, that you may obey his voice.

Are we even hearing his voice?

Right?

Can come in different forms, reading his word through that

still small voice. Like Ethelshad, she had that Oka is

a strong prompting, but it's that still small voice of

God telling her to do this, and she still got

a confirmations through other people through I think pastors pacedoniel

they're speaking something was confirmation for her, and then me

also prompting her, Hey, maybe I think you should share

that testimony was another confirmation.

So God uses people around us to also speak to us.

Right, sometimes we don't know they I really hear God correctly,

but his word will confirming.

Your leaders will confirm it.

People around you, your your wife's counsel, godly counsel around

you will confirm it. Someone's get visions, someone's getting impressions.

You know, something's just gentle assurance. God, I know you

love me, You're here from me, It's gonna be okay.

And in fact, many times He will confirm things to

us by different different means, several means. We just need

to to look out for it and be sensitive and yeah,

and after that it's whether we'll walk in obedience. Right,

we hear his voice, and I think I spoke quite

some time ago, many months ago, about the word hearing.

Shamah.

If I remember the Hebrew hearing his voice, It's not

just oh, here I heard a sound, but it's here,

and do here, and do the Hebrew words here and

do so you hear it, you obeyed. It has to

come together. It cannot be I just hear and then

I walk away. Now I hear and obey his voice.

And you know, Eta had no clue, right, she said,

she didn't know why, why is this even important? Who

wants to hear my set depressing story? But someone needed

to hear it. God at least showed her one lady

who needed to hear it. But I'm sure there were

many more in the church that you know didn't speak

out or didn't have the opportunity to say it.

But she had.

And even through that night, I said, we had.

Patty barbecue, eating really good food.

But we also had a time of ministry.

And it was even through that that Ethel got to

share even more because we started, I don't know, we

start worshiping and then and then it was like almost

like okay, let's start cleaning up. But the Holy Spirit

also prompted me to encourage the church. So I had

a word for the church and then Pace also had

a word bag. And then suddenly it was like, okay,

Holy Spirit gave me a second chance. Now I need

to say it, because again Holy Spirit was speaking to

her right prompting her to say something and encourage the lady.

But a lot of times we were like maybe not,

maybe I hurt only or you know, a bit scared.

But since we were already like in a circle and

in different wentces of was sharing and She's like, okay,

now's my time. God, I know you want me to speak,

and so she she shared again another word of encouragement

for the lady, and the whole church all of us

just came around her and prayed over her life. But yeah,

being hearing his voice and then we see how God

works through us and in us.

Amen.

And Ethel said it was also part of her healing process.

She's releasing healing to others and God is also healing her.

How beautiful is that?

Right?

But it took her obedience and trust in Him to

do it. My third point verse twenty right, verse twenty

what did they say? Yeah, you have it highlighted there

and the Lord oh sorry wrong wrong? Verse twenty twenty

that you may love the Lord, your God, that you

may obey his voice, and that you may cling to

him as my third point, cling to him. Just as

Eta Roy clung to God in a painful and desperate situation,

we can also do the same. And we think about it, Actually,

who else can weaking to? Our spouse, our parents, our kids,

our best friends, our friends, our jobs, our ministry, nothing,

there's nothing. There's no one else that we can cling

to that will never fail us. Right, He's the only one.

When we cling to, we'll never be disappointed. Yeah, maybe

there's a season of waiting, maybe there is some waiting,

but he will never fail us. And even though when

we think he is or God, are you late?

Are you being slow?

But he knows, he sees the whole picture. Really right,

time is nothing to him. He's just he already knows

the beginning and the end, and he knows what he's doing. So,

you know, he knows our future we don't, and he

knows what we need, and he knows, you know, in

all those seasons, he knows the exact thing that we

need to grow, to grow in our faith, to get

closer to Him. He reveals things in our hearts through

the situations, so I want to say so, I guarantee

you you will experience life and life more budantly if

you cling to God.

Amen. Amen. And my fourth point.

Joshua chapter twenty four, I want us to go to

the Joshua twenty four, verse fifteen.

Yeah, you can read it there.

And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord,

choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. Some

of you noticed was whether the gods which your father

serve that we're on the other side of the river,

or the gods of the emirates in whose land you dwell.

But for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Amen.

Weirs declare that right when we do house blessing, and

you know things like that, it's for me and my house.

We will serve the Lord. How do we choose him?

How do we choose life?

Life?

Is by serving him? And you know when when royn

Etta told us, hey, we sign up for all missions,

it was right after they got the news from the

doctors to terminate. It was the very I came remember

a very next week or the very next few days,

like that weekend, and I'm like, what it'll be the

last thing on your mind, you know, going for missions,

but within mails overjoyed and encourage because I know that

God is working even in that situation.

And as a family unit, they chose to serve God

even when.

They were disappointed, they were let down, they were mourning,

they were grieving, but they chose to serve God no

matter the circumstance. How many of us can do the same,

you know. Yeah, it's not easy, but it helps when

you have the community around you. You have your homies,

you have your leaders just to encourage you and don't

spur you on.

But we didn't.

We didn't.

We didn't ask them, probably wouldn't cross I might even

do ask them, you know, but they would ones like, hey,

we sign up, you have yours. We haven't even signed

up yet at that time, and we usually go every year,

but we hadn't yet, but they said, yeah, you want

to come with us, Like okay, let's go, you know,

and yeah, it's really ron at though. It's a legacy

that you get to share with your future children. And

and you know, your child in heaven as well will

hear this story when we get there. We will meet

that child in heaven.

Amen.

That's the hope we have in Christ.

And when you choose to serve God, it's not uh,

it's not about just about serving human is convenient when

we have plenty right, when we have everyone that you

need to interact with, you can click with the nice

and easy to work with all of our serving say amen,

we all have had our frictions, our disagreements, our misunderstandings.

But yeah, it shouldn't be the onlyest have got. When

it's easy to work with everybody. What if I have

the most difficult team to work with, all different from me,

different personality, DSc different.

Yeah, and you know right after again, it's not just grieving.

It's a lot of money spent. I had to ask

I to confirm it. I thought yesterday, how much did

she spend? I'm telling you is thousands? Okay, the medical bills,

the confinement. I'm not talking to three thousands. I'm talking

about more than ten thousands. And you would think in

the natural, it's like, okay, now and you start saving

up again, don't go anywhere, don't travel, stay home.

Save up.

But the first thing they did after the news is

signed up for missions. And this is one of the

most more expens mission trips compared to you know that,

not the local ones. Me and mind sang one of

the more expensive trips. That's why I was so encouraged.

While you're really not looking at your situation at all.

You're just trusting God because you heard his voice and

you have a heart light of desire, you know, to.

Do God's work.

Yeah, so why doesn't make any sense?

Right?

Doesn't make any sense.

They should be resting at home, they should be saving

up again what they lost, but they still choose to

serve their God and they didn't hesitate at all. And

I believe the reward is even greater than what they

can ask or imagine and think about it. This is

just on earth, on earth, so God gives us these

little rewards and you all blessings. But in heaven, in heaven,

it's going to be even more glorious and beautiful. We

can't even imagine it now. But choose, choose God, Choose

to serve him, Choose to love him, Choose to cling

to him no matter what you're going through.

And I'll just and I think with this it won't

take it too long.

But in Matthew chapter six, verse twenty four, it says

no one can serve two masters. This is talking about

serving God right. No one can serve two masters. For

slave will either hate the one and love the other,

or be devoted to the one and despise the other.

You cannot serve God and wealth. We are quite like

well when we hear this verse on because it's one

of the things that you know can really hit us.

It's only one master. We cannot be enslaved by the

God of money. And if we serve God wholeheartedly right,

money will not have a hole on our hearts. The

decisions we make will not be based on money. We

will not depend on how much we have or how

much we don't have. And sometimes for some of us

who have been in the faith longer, sunless that's that

is one of the hindrances from experiencing God's fullness and

that abundant life is because there's still that, it's that

whole we sometimes you don't want to admit it, but

it's there. But if we really love God and trust

him and cling to him, right, your money is just

I think that God can he can give any time he.

Can, You'll get it back.

It will come back the last week person and also

was like, don't need to coplate last what was it Coley? What?

Oh burgirl?

Right?

The sauce dough to pay for ketchup? But yeah, one master.

Let's all have just one master. Let's just God. I mean,

when we go to heaven, what's money and what's goal?

Right?

We all know goal would be what you're stepping on.

It's the least least valuable thing in heaven. The gates

are pulls, everything are precious stones. God's currency is different,

you know. It's obedience is serving him. Man. Sorry, prayer

as a church, well when it comes to topic of money,

I pray we move on from there. We leave any

baggage and hurts behind as well, focus on what's important.

Let's serve God with all our hearts. Amen.

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God, bless