I had a 24-hour trip to Ranau, 2-hour drive from Kota Kinabalu. It was along to route to Mount Kinabalu. It was a difficult drive tailing several lorries uphill under heavy rains. I arrived at 5pm in Ranau and found it so refreshing compared to the heat in KK. It must be about 20 degrees, and temperatures could fall to 16 degrees at night. My friend called me just I parked my car and later an elder of the church came and took me to my hotel. We proceeded to dinner where another 8 church leaders turned up. It was wonderful catching up with old friends. The last time I ministered in a Ranau church was in 1998, some 16 years ago.
Ranau was the first district in Sabah to welcome the Gospel when the missionaries came in 1938, just before the second World War. It was an SIB stronghold until the missionary took his converts to Taginambur some 100 kms away. It was a trek that made history in our denomination. Out of this small group of believers some 50 villages were evangelized in Kota Belud district.
On Sunday, I preached 2 sermons. The first was taken from Romans 13,1-7 and in the 2nd service I preached from 13,8-14. I preached about our submission to the government in the first message and loving your neighbour as yourself as fulfilment of the law in the second service. The second one was spontaneous as I saw all the leadeeprs attended the 2nd service again and I did not want them to get bored listening to the same sermon. It turned out that the second was better as I felt God's anointing more. I preached in Malay and I realized the gift of preaching in Malay was still in me, thanks be to God. And the Dusuns of Ranau were blessed.
No comments:
Post a Comment