On the very first day of the year 2006, Chinese Christians on the Stream of Praise (SOP) conference received blessings and prayers as the conference concluded.
Entering the third day of the SOP International Leadership & Worship Conference on Sunday, many participants responded actively to the very last worship and messages in the evening despite of physical tiredness.
While greeting the New Year, SOP worship team has played strong role of worship and prayer intercession to guide the audience to receive blessings from the above.
The president of the SOP Music Ministries, Rev. Sandy Yu, specifically invited participants to pray for those who are serving with the children’s ministries as well as pastors and missionaries. One of the main speakers of the Conference- the Canadian evangelist Rev Charlie Robinson- also prayed and blessed the children one by one, wishing to revive a new generation of worship among them.
"Father God, bless every single one of them, they are all precious in your eyes and they are all unique. Bless them to become your church, bless them with your grace.. to let them see vision…to let them become the powerful army of God," Robinson prayed.
Robinson also asked God to show His calling to the children and to let them respond to the calling even though they are young.
Following the prayers, a teenager and a minister working with the children’s fellowship in the local church shared their testimony about how God has changed the young lives through the SOP conference.
The minister told the audience that they have not been very satisfied with the spiritual growth of the children’s fellowship in her church. They have been praying for the kids for the past 4-5 months. However, during a small gathering in the conference, the children have meet together and they all had something great to share. As they start sharing, they also pray for each other. Some of them were so touched that they cried.
"God has opened something new for them through this conference, something that hasn’t been seen in our fellowship for long," the minister concluded.
Robinson then delivered the last message of the Conference. By telling interesting stories of his own experience in encountering young people, Robinson urged the audience to never underestimate what the youths can do for God.
"God uses our youth, if we put our trust in young people like God does, we will be surprise at what God will ask them to do," he said. He quoted the example of Mary, who gives birth to Jesus probably at the age of 17 or 18.
"How can God entrust the salvation of mankind to a young people, because God can see something you and me can’t see," he explained.
Robinson also encouraged the audience to realize the work of God inside of them as time passes by, "My body becomes older and older everyday, but the man inside me is renewing everyday. God is strengthening my life. I am not old in my inside. My inside is always 18 years old. Spiritually, inside yourself, you must stay young for Jesus, the Lord will make you young, give you joy and your yoke will be easy and you will shine like a burning light for Jesus."
After the message, Rev Sandy led the audience to praise and worship. Chinese Christians from different denominations and different countries unite together in one heart to offer praise to God. She invited people to come in front of the stage to receive prayer of blessings from Robinson, other pastors or SOP ministers. Many people broke into tears as they were touched by the Holy Spirit while some others prayed in groups for healing.
After the Conference has concluded, some of the international participants will be joining a tour in Los Angeles from Monday to Thursday. One of the visits will be the Saddleback Church in Lake Forest led by the famous pastor Rick Warren.
