“We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.” (John 9:4)

Today, I just wanted to share about God’s blessings and grace in the midst of us that we may all be brought to praise Him, serve Him, and worship Him with our whole lives. 

Teens retreat was special to me because it was the beginning of an answer to a deep burden I have been praying about. Three years ago, I can vividly remember how God gave me a vision of a spiritual revival in my generation, of many young people coming to know God and give their whole lives to Him. Looking around at our generation, spiritually, the land is barren. Our age is dry, cold and overrun by secularism. Where are the young men and women who wholeheartedly fear the Lord? Where are Christians who take their faith seriously? Especially in Australia, many youths our age have little concern about God or the church. Many indulge themselves in partying, alcohol, drugs, sex and all the other impurities the world has to offer. Even among “Christians”, our generation has no concept of holiness. They act just like the world because the world influences even their churches. 

Though there are, in God’s grace, a few out there who genuinely fear the Lord, most of our generation is lost in the lies of sin. It’s a sad reality. A lot of the time, I feel overwhelmed when faced with this reality. I don’t know what to do because there is no way I can do anything to bring all these people to know God. I often question, “why am I alive God, amongst my dead generation? What am I supposed to do?” All I could do was get on my knees to plead and beg and cry out that God would do something to save our lost generation. If our generation is not won, the consequences are not small. If there are no young men and women who wholly fear the Lord, where is the future of the church? Where is the future of the world if not hell’s fire burning brighter around us?

One thing that I can cling onto is God’s sovereign masterplan. I know that the story of this world ends with Christ, who is victorious. It ends with Christ, who will win many souls to come back in repentance to Him. If you also want to catch this glorious hope and vision, read Zechariah! 

Anyway, as I was saying, teens retreat was the beginnings of an answer to my prayer. God is truly at work in our church, and He indeed was at work amongst us in teens retreat. Now I realise, revival is not about good preaching or persuasive evangelism. It is about one thing alone; the preaching of God’s Word, which God uses to change hearts. Through God’s Word, the Holy Spirit can break any heart of stone. Despite our world’s evils and this secular age where all seems lost, nothing is impossible for God. God is alive, and He is working, and He is starting something amongst us. 

God has chosen to work amongst us in the youth of IREC Sydney. Not that I want to boast that we are superior, no way! We are just as broken, slow, stubborn, and rebellious as the world if not more. It is only the grace of God. And really, I just want us all the to comprehend how big this grace is. In my years as a teenager, seeking and praying that a revival would happen, I have not found anywhere else other than teens retreat where God is evidently working to change the life and course of our generation. 

We need to hold on to this privilege. If God has given us such great grace, we must cling onto it with our dear lives. As Matthew 9:37 says “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few”. My question is, where are you? Are you with me? Our generation needs Christ. We need Christ. If it is not us who will bear the cross and strive for God’s Kingdom, who will face the crisis of our generation? 

Often when called to war, we jump to service in an outburst of patriotism. Yet, soldiers don’t go to combat without rigorous, back-breaking training. Our generation needs Christ; but where do we start? Start with yourself, because both you and I need Christ. Give yourself diligently into His Word. Pray for a changed heart and spiritual growth. Seek the church community that can foster our growth. Put to death sin, leave your old ways and follow Christ. The expansion of God’s Kingdom in our generation starts here. It begins with crowning Christ in our hearts. In starts with God’s Kingdom ruling over every aspect of our lives; our desires, our actions, our thoughts, our church life, our school life, our family life, our private life. God is working amongst us. He is changing hearts. Open your heart to Him for change.

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