SUNDAY SCHOOL II Sharing by Haran 24 July 2011

SUNDAY SCHOOL SHARING by Haran 24 July 2011

Background

Hello, my name is Kevin Suthaharan Subramaniam. Most people call me just Haran.

Some of you may not know, I am born with cerebral palsy.
It affected my hands and co-ordination physically.
And I am slow in doing things.

In the past, I always needed extra time to do my exams - PSLE, N Level in Sec 4 and ITE Bishan Certificate in Office Skills.

Fortunately, I passed a course in Business Studies & Information Technology.

I was a tele-marketer from 1 June 2007 to 19 November 2008.

I have been working as a property agent at ERA since 20 November 2008.

Despite being born weak as a child, I was driven by determination in the inner man in Christ Jesus.

I aspire and try to live as normal a life as possible. And I try not to be a burden to my family.



Strength

Today’s memory verse resonates with what I have gone through in my life.

“A wise man is strong, Yes, a man of knowledge increases strength.”

But if I were to speak of strength, it is definitely not physical strength that I will be speaking about for there is no physical strength in me.

I thank God our Father in giving me the grace and mental strength to overcome life's challenges so that Christ’s name is magnified above all.

I sought knowledge in the Word of God and it has given me strength and wisdom. I realize that worldly knowledge can only go so much and no more.

When we know God as our Helper who strengthens us and our spirit, we can be assured that the strength that God gives will be sufficient for us to overcome life’s challenges.

When we pray and wait upon the Lord, He will give us that strength. One verse that has sustained me through all these years is:

Isaiah 40:31 “But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.”



A Recent Challenge that I Faced

I would like to share with you about the challenges that I faced in the year 2010 through 2011.

Between February 2010 leading up to being certified as a practising property agent, if not for what the Lord had done, I can say that I will not have a job or have any income.

To qualify to be a certified practising property agent, I need to have closed a minimum number of transactions and passed a professional exam.

I studied very hard and took the Estate Agent Exams on 27 and 28 February 2010, but failed.

God did not forsake me and provided a committed tutor for free from another property agency with whom I had done a deal with in 2009. This person taught me everyday for seven months up to the week of the exams. Each session was 45 minutes over the handphone. By the grace of God, I passed my exams!

Next, to qualify to become a certified practising estate agent, I had to show proof that I have done a minimum number of transactions. Despite my repeated pleas to the panel which decides whether I have met the requirements, the panel, up to the very last day of the registration, still maintained the position that I have not done so. At the very last hour, 7 pm on the day of registration, God answered my cry for help. My boss came to the rescue and showed undeniable proof of the transactions that I have done over the last few years, which more than met the requirements.


I am now a certified practising estate agent by the grace of God. He has provided me with the strength and sent people to my aid in my time of need. He has enabled me to go through all these difficult and challenging times. I thank God and praise His name.

I know it is still not going to be easy going forward, but I have the assurance that God’s grace is sufficient for me and He will provide me the strength to go through it.

The song that I have chosen is “God had not promised skies not always blue”, which speaks to my heart.



Closing and Offering Prayer

Dear Father,

We know how weak and helpless we are, but by your grace you have strengthened us all in the inner man, and you have given us hope and peace to live a victorious Christian life. We like to give thanks and praise you for your faithfulness and love towards us.

This morning, we would like to make a commitment to seek your Word diligently, as we have read from the Psalms, “a man of knowledge increases strength”.

We pray that the offering that we are going to present to You Lord is acceptable in your sight.

Please prepare our hearts to hear your words of wisdom from Pastor during Morning Worship

In Christ’s Glorious name, Amen.