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It's a new season
Sunday, January 24, 2010 @ 5:24 AM
Hey guys, Benton here. I'm currently in Melbourne, and missing you guys and ML. I didn't really get a good chance to talk about C2 before I left, so here it goes. I joined C2 and ML in 2007, (when there were less guys than girls in our cell) and it's been a really fun ride. I think God has grown myself as well as the cell over the past 3 years or so.

On a personal level, God brought me from being the crazy outspoken guy who only attended cell for fun and because it was "good for me", to a position of responsibilty in the cell, where I actually cared for the well-being (spiritual) of each and every member of the cell. God has taught me a lot from all of you, and I thank God for the privilege of knowing you guys. He taught me how to love all of you, despite us coming from different backgrounds and having different personalities. It was also great knowing that I had a spiritual family standing up for me, people that I could grow together with spiritually, people that would accept me. You guys are great! You guys have also inspired me, people like Jayna, who has led from such a young age, Ernest, who is reall earnest with his worship, Wen Hao, who keeps growing and growing (spiritually and physically), Wesley, who has such a generous heart, Joan Chew, who's always approachable, Isaac, who's guided me along, people like Joan Ng and Joanne, who have been great examples for the people around them, and Shaun, who keeps standing strong in the faith in tough situations. I could go on, but I'm sleepy.

As a cell, look where we are now! God has brought us a long way from where we were when I first came. Look at how each and every one of your spiritual walks has changed through the work God has done in our midst. Many of us have grown in the way we worship, the daily hunger that we have for God and in our desire to make our lives count for Jesus. The spiritual atmosphere has changed much since the sec 1s (now 2s) first joined us. Although there is much room to grow, God has taken us a long way out, and we praise Him for it!

Remember H1N1, when cell sharing exploded, and people were touched by our support? I believe God did a great work within us and through us! SP once said that the H1N1 thing sparked off the revival. That means God heard us when we asked Him to let revival start with US! The past year or so has been one of huge transition, with Isaac stepping down and Joan, Jayna and myself rising up to the plate, lotsa things happened like camp, H1N1 etc. and finally, multiplication. We've come from being a bunch of siblings in Christ who meet every week to discuss the word of God etc., to being a support for one another in the Word of God and in everyday life. That's what cell should be like.

I believe that this is only a short but painful pruning, a metamorphosis of sorts, as God prepares us for what He has in store for all of us as He takes us into a new season. Leaving one another may be quite saddening, but take heart, we will grow from this. Being sad means that the ties we had with one another in cell were genuine, and thats how cell should be. I read the other posts and what you guys have said, increasingly I feel that God is not pulling us apart, rather, he is spreading the seeds of revival within our hearts to wherever he sends. Revival WILL start with us, within our spirits, and I know, that God has already begun His work. So take heart C2, we are in the forefront of the battle.

Sometimes, we must lose something to realize how much it really means to us, but we shouldn't be miserable about it. Take this attitude and spirit of making cell and our relationships count into your new cells, and really show the world what authentic cell should be like! The time you have with one another is short so make the most of it!

So that's that. I thank God for guys, and although I'm bummed that I'm not gonna be in Riverlife to see the revival happen, I know that God has a plan for us wherever he sends us. As i said to the guys during the discipleship thing, God has given you so much potential, so live up to it! I believe that when I come back, I'll see you guys not as the same old Jireh, Jia Ru etc., but pioneers of a great revival, on FIRE for God and full of the Holy Spirit!

See ya in the future guys, hopefully we'll cross paths soon!

Enjoy the season ahead,
Benton