On January 1, 2024, the Stream of Praise (SOP) music ministry held its first Open Heaven conference in Hong Kong, which featured four worships with sermons and a testimony session.
This five-hour conference was a part of the SOP’s winter worship tour schedule in Hong Kong from December 29, 2023, to January 1, 2024. Besides, this tour also included praise and worship celebrations and a woman's conference.
Last August, SOP also held worship conferences and celebrations, themed "Revival," in Hong Kong.
According to the music ministry, choosing the conference’s date of January 1, 2024, was out of the hope of dedicating the first day of the year to God with alignment to His will and experiencing healing and renewal, thus ushering in revival.
At the first worship and sermon, Rev. Tiffany M. Cheng, one of the worship team leaders, encouraged the audience to "receive the double portion from God in the coming year by relying on His soul, being close to His heart, and completing the work on hands in His blessing." Finally, she led the congregants in singing the hymns “You’re The Only One” and “By Faith, I Receive” in response to her message.
Before the second worship, Pastor Andy Chen reminded the present to please the heart of God rather than men’s, to get rid of the "comparison" mindset, and to make good use of the talents God has given us as good stewards. Pastor Chen led the attendees in confessing, "Heavenly Father, you love me, and I am your love," and responding to God's love, "Wo ai ni (I love you in Chinese Mandarin), I love you," several times throughout his praise meeting.
During the third worship and message, Rev. Sandy Yu, the founder of this first overseas Chinese music ministry, exhorted the audience to love people as Jesus does in the new year with an address on the importance of actions accompanying love. Additionally, she said to lay the people and things that hurt you at the feet of Jesus, choosing to forgive and let go, and experiencing God's grace. Later, a staff member of the SOP testified that it was not only about forgiving others but also ourselves, with the confession that it was the most broken selves that would meet God.
Rev. Yu shared the last message of this conference: "Be strong and courageous, for God has promised us that He is with us wherever we go."
Subsequently, the worship team led the congregants to worship and pray for their churches and cities, blessing the cities where everyone was located and opening Heaven’s window to these cities.
Amid the fast hymn "You Do a New Thing," the Stream of Praise Winter Worship Tour in Hong Kong concluded.
- Translated by Poppy Chan
