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1160 West Georgia Street Vancouver, BC, V6E 3H7
Pastor Karen Kepkay
History Belongs to the Intercessors
Growing up in Venezuela, my friendship circle were mostly latinos. I was the only Chinese girl in all my elementary, high school and university classes, and I was surrounded by, and served with great Venezuelan staff in our family restaurant. You get the idea – The Chinese community was then visibly a minority. During my last two years of high school, we saw an increase of Chinese business people come arrive at our city whether from other Venezuelan states or directly from Hong Kong and China. It was then that I met two sisters who became my dear friends. They were just one or two years older than me, born and raised in Venezuela of Chinese descent. Their bold mom had moved them from another state years after their father had passed and established a bakery in our city supplying baked goods to the Chinese restaurants at the time. This family had come to know Christ, and beyond servicing restaurants they were intentional in sharing the hope in Jesus to Chinese restaurant owners in town, which included my family. My girlfriends’ mom not only would welcome and host visiting Chinese missionaries from abroad, but she was amazing at bringing them to every chinese-owned business in the area creating opportunities for them to share the gospel, extending an invitation to house church gatherings.
Miss Louise was one of those Chinese missionaries who not just visited our city once but later felt called to stay for a few years, planting a house church while discipling the new Chinese believers that were coming to accept Jesus. She was sent by and supported by an Evangelical Chinese Church here in Richmond, British Columbia with the vision to have Chinese people reaching Chinese people around the world with the Gospel!
I still remember her visits to us in our restaurant. Though I was far from accepting Christ, being distracted finding “other ways” to spirituality, Miss Louise’s genuineness, and deep joy, made me comfortable to accompany my mom to their house church, when it was hard for me to understand the message in Cantonese. Over several years, she persisted in praying for my family’s salvation. When I accepted Christ here in Vancouver; she was overjoyed to see our Lord answer prayer and see Him move in my life. She was present at my ordination day, praising Jesus for allowing her to see the fruit of years of missionary work.
I did not know it then, but I am certain now that Miss Louise, and my friends’ prayers altered the course and history of my life! God used her as an intercessor to pray believing that we would be future followers of Jesus. If it was not for her prayer for me and sisters, I would not have come to have had a Christ encounter and receive salvation.
Walter Wink, a great theologian, said that “history belongs to the intercessors, who believe the future into being”. Our God has need of us and would like to involve us as chosen vessels to earnestly be praying and calling things out into being – believing for the salvation of humanity, and of those around us, changing the world
Miss Louise to me is a great example of one who learned from the Apostle Paul on how to minister and intercede for others, in cities, and even during great storms and shipwrecks, believing in God’s salvation and safety.
In Acts 27 and 28, Paul, a prisoner under the Roman authorities along with 276 (prisoners, boat crew, and Paul’s friends) is taken from Caesarea to Rome by ship to appeal to Cesar. He had been accused by Jewish leaders of breaking the Law of Moses, and simply believing in Jesus as the resurrected Messiah, which the Supreme Council considered blasphemy.
The journey through the Mediterranean Sea stretch, after one stop at Fair Haven, became dangerous due to difficult weather conditions. Paul had advised of the imminent disaster if they continued sailing beyond this port. The centurion and owner of the ship ignored the warning, deciding to sail on bordering the Island to dock at a better port. A typhoon aroused pushing the ship out into the sea, and though they lowered anchors and threw cargo overboard, they were stuck in the middle of the storm for many dark days.
At the sight of storms and shipwreck ship crew became hopeless. Paul’s response reveals his behind-the-scenes intercession for safety and salvation of everyone on board:
Finally, Paul called the crew together and said, “Men, you should have listened to me in the first place and not left Crete. You would have avoided all this damage and loss. But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down. For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, and he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.’ So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said. But we will be shipwrecked on an island.” Acts 21-26 (NLT).
We can all learn a few things from the Apostle Paul when it comes to prayer and sharing with others, whether when things are smooth sailing or during the storm.
1. Paul prayed for others earnestly no matter what people’s status or background. These are 276 prisoners who, we can assume, committed some crime, or were falsely accused like Paul was. He had a revelation that God wants everyone to be saved. In Acts 10:34 Peter says that “God is not a respecter of persons” which means that God does not show partiality nor has favorites. He wants everyone, Slave, free, Gentile, Jews, to be saved. Salvation is for all. Let’s be praying for everyone, believers, yet believers, and no matter their context or background.
2. Paul prayed for salvation and shared His hope and had compassion on them. The courage that he received from God he passed on to him. Paul not only was praying for his own safety but labored in prayer for everyone to be spared and receive blessings. The Lord then sends an angel to appear to him and speak of the assurance that neither Paul himself nor the crew would perish. He says “But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down.” … What’s more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.’ Paul cared much for the 276 on board by encouraging them to eat and remain alive, but most importantly he shared about the goodness of God and how much He believed God – a God who can be trusted. Then God granted them safety!
3. Paul prayed through his fears. The fact that the Angel said to him “Don’t be afraid, Paul” gives us insight that he was also fearful for his life, and not being able to accomplish God’s purposes. In turn, the Lord reminds Paul that He belonged to God and he was His servant. Thinking back of Miss Louise, ministering in a foreign country, filled with crimes and unrest, more than once she prayed through fear so she could minister to others.
History was forever changed, and God’s plan and purposes prevailed as Paul prayed for the crew through the storm. If Paul had not prayed earnestly on behalf of the 276 nor have shared the trustworthiness of God, we wonder if we would have heard of these shipwreck survivors in this chapter. Paul’s prayer did not change the storms, but through prayer God did save the crew despite the storm. We can only wonder how their hearts were transformed and how many believed in Jesus after seeing the Angel’s prophecy come to pass: none of them lost their lives though the ship was wrecked.
Prayer changes things, changes us and changes history! Miss Louise began praying for me exactly 30 years ago, and now my life has changed. Paul prayed for prisoners and soldiers on the ship, and they were saved. Who are we praying for today whose lives will be changed by Christ in the future?