The Power of Praying Together Asia Pacific Baptist Federation

MESSAGE BY THEPRESIDENTASIA PACIFIC BAPTIST FEDERATION By Rev. Edwin Lam

“Truly I tell you,whateveryoubindonearthwillbebound inheaven,andwhateveryoulooseonearthwillbeloosedinheaven.“Again,trulyItellyouthatiftwoofyouonearthagreeaboutanythingtheyaskfor,itwillbedoneforthembymyFatherinheaven. Forwheretwoorthreegatherinmyname,thereamIwiththem.”

Matthew18:18-20

“Goinga little farther,he fellwithhis face to thegroundandprayed,“MyFather,ifitispossible,maythiscupbetakenfromme.YetnotasIwill,butasyouwill.”

Matthew26:39

IthankandpraiseGodit’sAPBFSundayagainexceptthatweareinthemidst

ofaworldwidecrisis!TheCOVID-19pandemichasreachedeverycornerofthisplanetwithresearchers,doctorsandscientistsseekingeitheravaccineorcurefor it.This pandemic doesn’t just reset theworld, it is also a clarion call forprayer—toseekthefaceoftheAlmighty!AsChristiansweknowthatprayingislike the breath we breathe and reading the Bible, the daily meals we take.Here,Iamreferringtocorporateprayer,notindividualclosetprayer!Matthew18:18-20gives theprincipleof thepowerofpraying togetherwhileMatthew18:15-17,theapplicationwithregardstoconflictmanagement.ItspeaksoftheGod-given privilege and power to bind and to loosen which in turn movesheaventoact.

Thisprinciple isbasedontheUnityofbelieversgatheredtogetherwiththeLord Jesus Christ present in their midst. He emphasizes that our actionprecedesheaven’saction.GodinHissovereigntycoulddowhateverHewantsasandwhenHewants,yetbecauseHemademanandwomanwithfreewill,HechosetorestrictHimself.Inspiteofman’sfreewill,GodstillchosetoworkinpartnershipwithHiscreation.MancanchooseGod’swillorhisownwill.Ofcourse,therewillbeconsequencesforthosechoices.Insteadofusingfreewill

todoGod’swill,mankindsoughtownagendasandambitionsresultinginsin,selfishness,bloodshed,violence,andevilwickednesscreatingseparationfromGod.However,when theLordJesuscame,HesoughtGod’swill lovinglyandwillinglywhenHeprayed, “MyFather, if it is possible, let this cuppass fromme,yetnotasIwill,butasYouwill”(Matthew26:39).

NowonderGodwaswellpleasedwithHim.NowtheChurchonearth,clothedwithChrist’srighteousnessisthenewentitythatdesiresGod’swill.Sometimesthe church can fail too, either because of self-love, self-will, self-reliance orselfishness.Letusremember:wecannotmakeGoddowhatHedoesn’twanttodo,butwecanhinderHimfromdoingwhatHewantstodo.ThisisthegreatresponsibilityandprivilegegiventoChristians.Therewillcomeaday,whentheLordJesusChristreturnstoearthwhenthefullnessoftheChurchisformed—thebodythatseeksGod’swilllovingly,willinglyandcompletely!WilliamCareyoncemadethiswisestatement:“ExpectgreatthingsfromGod;AttemptgreatthingsforGod!”

This iswhat the church should be doing.So, let us join hands and hearts inprayertobindtheCOVID-!9andtrustGodforasolutiontoswipeoutandstopthispandemicandletusloosenHispowertotransformlifeforHisKingdominspite of the great devastation, disaster and deaths! This happenswhen thechurch prays together!This is what God is seeking here and now, that thechurch,likeherLordJesusChristwilldesireGod’swillsomuchthatitwillbeasfood and sustenance! (John 4:34). Thus whenever we pray, we can bind orlooseninJesus’name.IamnotsuggestingwearesuchpowerfulhumanbeingsastooverrideGod’sauthorityandsovereigntybut IamsayingGodhasgivenustheprivilegetobindorloosenwhichinturnimpactHisworkonthefaceofthisearth.Ofcourse,astheSovereignoftheUniverse,HecansupersedeandoverrideourwaysoutofHisgreatlove!So,letusprayaccordingtoGod’swill.AstheLordJesusChristtaughtusinMatthew6:10“Yourwillbedoneonearthasitisinheaven!”

“As Christians we know that praying is like the breath we breathe and reading the Bible, the daily meals we take..”

APBFStandingTogether

Browsetheinternetwith‘Covid-19Pandemic’andyouwillfindhundredsandthousandsofarticleswrittenonmanysubjectsthatsurroundsCovid-19.Whowouldhavedreamedtheworldwouldbewhereitisevenafewmonthsago.The last travel of this year was February when I was returning from India.Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok was already in alert ofCovid-19 although WHO had not declared Coronavirus as Pandemic andQuarantinewasnotinpicture.ButIcouldseepeoplebeginningtowearmasks.People already felt a sense of danger lurking behind.Amonth after Racismbeganshowing itsdirtyface.Churchesbegantoclose itsdoorsforcorporateworship.Andtheworldchanged.

5months since thenand theworldhaschanged.Millionshave lost lives, thebattle against the virus does not seem to be easing. Many businesses havedeclared bankruptcy, millions of people have lost jobs. Economies arepredicted to tumble within this year. Travels will become more restricted.Peoplewillcontinuetofeelanxietyovermeetingpeople.Muchlesstalkaboutmeetings.

But aside all the sad stories, also lies stories of hope, and resilience.Articlescallingoutforpeopletobemorehuman.Peoplecallingoutforsolidarityandto lean into hope. Leaders addressing global citizens to build up to globaltogetherness.Yes, we still have hope because Christ has won the battle ofdeathandsinthroughHis resurrectionandHis resurrectionreassuresusthatHe has power and authority over His creation, even sickness and death.Therefore,wehavehopeandweshallovercome.

The Asia Pacific Baptist Federation is also calling out for hope along withBaptistWorldAllianceinthethemeof‘StandingTogether’. Youarenotalonein thisbattle.Wearewithyou.And thismessagemustbe sharedwithevery

MESSAGE BYVESEKHOYI TETSEO (VEE)

GENERAL SECRETARYASIA PACIFIC BAPTIST FEDERATION

Baptist believer that ‘You are not alone’. And we want to reverberate thismessageonthisspecialday‘APBFSunday’.

Aswe celebrate theAPBFSunday,maywebe reminded that somedecadesago Baptists fromAsia Pacific felt the need of this togetherness. ‘To cometogetherasoneBaptist family intheBWA’.Wearenow63conventions in22countries.Wecomeasonebody“OneLord,onefaith,onebaptism”(Eph.4:5).Our vision is ‘BaptistsTogetherTransforming Lives inChrist across theAsiaPacific’. May we live up to this vision. That, we serve our communities tochangelivesthroughJesusChrist.

PeacebewithyouaswecelebrateAPBFSunday in solidaritywith theAPBF,BWAandthecitizensoftheworld.

PrayerItemsSubmittedforAPBFSunday!

ThailandKarenBaptistConvention

*TheunityofChristianorganizationsinThailand.*ChristiansleaderswillhumblethemselvesbeforetheLordandlistentoHisvoice.*God’sprotectionforHischurchesallaroundtheworld.

NepalBaptistChurchCouncil

*PrayfortheNBCCleadershipteam,allthestaffofNBCC'sdepartmentsandprovinces,localBaptistChurchesPastor,deacons,youthleaders,women

leaders,elderpeople,sickpeopleandallbeliever'sgoodhealthandspiritualgrowthandmaturitylife.*PraytostopassoonaspossibletheeffectoftheCOVID-19Coronavirusfromtheworld.*PrayfortheNepaliChristianlivingwitnessforChristbecausetheNepalgovernmentpassedtheanticonversionruleinNepaltostopChristianactivities.

GaroBaptistConventionBangladesh

*DuringthetimeBangladeshisexperiencingseverefloodsduetohavingrainsand mountain slopes. In this, the public and believing families House, Riceseedling, Fish in the pond, and the ages are being severely affected anddamaged.*Prayforthosewhoareunemployed,jobless,andindireneedoffoodduetotheCOVID-19viruses.*TheChurchesclosedacrossthecountryduetoCOVID-19Viruses.Cannotsittogether forworship.Some areas canworshipwith zoom link online servicewhereinternetanddeviceareavailable.

PrayforJapan

*Coronavirus continues to increase in cities likeTokyo.Pray for containmentthatitwillnotspreadtootherPrefectures.*Pray for the US Military Base inOkinawa where a total of 99 cases werereported at five facilities inOkinawa Prefecture over the last week throughTuesday.*Prayforwisdomandcreativitytoholdworshipservicesassomechurchesarebeginningtore-open.*Pray forwisdomthatChristianswillbeable toshare thegospelamidst thispandemiccrisis.*PrayforJapanwherethepubliclookatanyorganizedreligionwithsuspicionduetoproblematicCultgroupslikeAumShinrikyoetc.*PrayforcontinualfaithfulwitnessofChristinJapan.

OkinawaBaptistConvention（宗）沖縄バプテスト連盟

*⼈材育成　Humanresourcedevelopment*教会成⻑と教会開拓　Churchgrowthandchurchplant*世界宣教への取組み　VisionandPassionforWorldMission

AustralianBaptistMinistries(BaptistUnionofAustralia)

*Lord’s special protection forAustralia’s FirstNationPeople fromCOVID-19,especiallyinremoteareas.*WisdomforourNationalandStateleadersastheyseektoreducetheimpactofCOVID-19.*Opportunitiesforourlocalchurchestosharethegoodnewsinwordanddeedatthistimeofgreatuncertainty.

PrayforIndia

*AsiaTimes News headlines the surge of infections in India as ‘India driftsrudderlessasCovid-19worsens.IndiaisnowthethirdlargestinfectedcountryintheworldfollowingUSAandBrazil.*Thepandemicisspreadingtoothercitiesandtowns,andlockdownisbeingreimposed in some areas although big cities likeMumbai and Delhi are theworsthit.Thereisfearthatinfectionsarehigherthanofficialfiguresreports.*News reports the situation in Delhi is “absolutely bad” but also are thepandemic-related effect upon the migrant laborers. Millions have lost theirjobsduetomonthsoflockdown.People,familiesarecommittingsuicide.*Pray for Churches, Pastors, Christian Leaders who need wisdom to wadethrough this troubled time and most importantly, how to ministers to theneeds of the poor and the hungry while keep safe and protected from theCoronavirus.

RongmeiNagaBaptistAssociation(RNBA),Manipur,India

*ForInternationalPeaceandCo-relation*ForChristianleadersandChurchunityinAsia*ForWorldEconomy

VisionBaptiststogetherTransformingLivesinChristacrosstheAsiaPacific.

OurMissionInspireandEquipBaptistsbyCollaborating,Networking,TrainingandServing

tofulfilltheGreatCommission.

WhoWeRepresentAPBFrepresentsover33,000localchurchesand63Conventionsin22

CountriesacrosstheAsiaPacificregion.

Asia Pacific Baptist Federation Goya 3-22-5, Okinawa City Okinawa 904-0021, Japan