【Peniel Church in Taiwan】
“Peniel” is the place where Jacob wrestled with God written in Genesis 32. It means God’s face. For Jacob said “I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” （Genesis 32:30）
God called us to come before Him, so we can see Him face to face in worshipping. When a man opens his heart toward God, his heart can be healed, cleansed, renewed, and restored by God. Then he becomes a new creature. God’s righteousness took place of his unrighteousness, and holiness, filthiness. He replaced our ugliness with His glory. He reveals Himself toward people who are weak and desperately need Him in worship and therefore people can experience His love and faithfulness as an almighty God.
The way we feed our sheep is leading them to focus on Jesus. The thirst for God is our only desire in life, for we believe only our God, the Creator, has the ability to change a man and satisfy each person’s need. When a man opens his heart toward God, He’ll instruct this man how to face his life and thus a man is justified by the faith of Jesus Christ.
We also named our church “Peniel” after Peniel Church in Argentina pioneered by Pr. Edward Miller. God inspired us how to feed the sheep and worship through Pastor Miller. He taught us to thirst for God, hope in the Lamb of God, and be brought into the anointing of God’s presence. That’s become the vision, hope, and blessing of our church.
Jesus said “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” （John10:10）
This is the promise that He has toward our lives. Let’s thirst for God as David’s prayer, so we may "dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple."（Psalms27:4）
Let’s follow on to know the LORD before Him. As Paul said “that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.（Philippians3:12）
*Called and Sent by God
Peniel Church in Taiwan was initiated by Pr.周明仕Ming-shi and Pr.賴上錦Naomi（pastor’s wife）. Both of them were called and sent by God to proclaim His name.
Pr. 周明仕Ming-shi was graduated from Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology and he majored in Marine Science and Technology. After graduating, he returned to Taiwan and worked as a businessman in a Japanese company. Due to his personality, he could not get used to those social activities. Besides, he had been yearning for the nature. Therefore, he resigned from his job and went up to the mountains to develop a trout farm. One day, a wonderful thought came to his mind "Why do you labor in the trout farm instead of feeding my sheep?” He was ignorant about spiritual things at that time and didn’t know how to respond. The thought often arose in his mind as fire burning in his heart and crowd him. He felt like having had ants in his pants.
In the meantime, it just happened that he was told that a Japanese pastor would come to the prayer mountain. And therefore he went up there with an attitude to relax himself and to review his Japanese , instead of the thirst for God. To his surprised, the Holy Spirit came upon them.
Early in the morning on April 25, 1986, the Holy Spirit came blowing as wind. Word of calling came to him. "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” （1Peter2:9）The two words “shew forth” manifested to him as bright light. He was so astounded by the Lord's voice that he confirmed it was a calling from Him.
Even though he was called by God, he still didn’t know what to do. Pr. Ming-shi decided to study at seminary. After he finished his first year, he went up to the prayer mountain on summer vacation. Again, the Holy Spirit sent out His word, asking him to go to Taipei. Pastor and his wife later submitted to the Holy Spirit’s guidance and sold their house in Taichung. They went to Taipei and joined a new team in ministry. Most important of all, they met Pastor Frances Thurman there. Like a mother, she earnestly and tirelessly instructed Pastor Ming-shi and Naomi, enabling them to have more understanding of purification and inspiration of spiritual things.
The next year, 1988, Pr. Edward Miller came to Taiwan through the introduction of Frances Thurman. Pastor Ming-shi and Naomi followed Pr. Edward Miller to take part in the services at many places in Taiwan. They received exceeding great grace during services. God revealed the love of Cross on the Calvary to them. He drew them nigh to Him and gifted them a heart of thirst.
Afterwards, they went to Atlanta church in the USA and were instructed by Pr. Edward Miller. In one of the services before returning to Taiwan in 1990, Pastor Ming-shi, with the fire of God burning in his heart, was clearly made known that he must go back to Taiwan. God urged him to go back with anointing. Word of God was also given to him
“And this shall be a sign unto thee, Ye shall eat this year such as groweth of itself; and the second year that which springeth of the same: and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof.”
"And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward”
“For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this.” ( Isaiah37:30-32)
Therefore, they were sent back to enter the ministry in Taichung. People with great weakness came to church. They were just like "A bruised reed and smoking flax” But these remnants experienced wonderful things fulfilled in their lives under God’s great compassion. God broke down their lives and built them up again .
*The Initiation and Developing of the Church
In 1990, they moved back to Taichung and started the service in the garage of their house while Thanksgiving was approaching. Since then, the Holy Spirit has been fulfilling His works according to His promises.
Soon afterwards, people kept coming and multiplied. The garage, with less than 10 square meters, failed to accommodate the growing people and therefore the church transferred to another basement on Nanmon Rd. in 1992. Later on in the next year, it again transferred to Intsy Rd. Here, the church has stayed for 13 years and have been reconstructed several times for enlargement. When the church stepped into its fourteen years , God amazingly brought us to a much larger place on Nantwen Rd near Wenshin S Rd on May 27th, 2007.
Looking back in the history of our church, God’s made us from nothing to everything. He has been building us from the inside and also providing us from the outside, making us lack nothing.
We pay much attention to whether God’s presence is with us either in our transfer or enlargement. We fixed our eyes on God Himself instead of on the changing of the appearance.
Besides the church in Taichung, God also led us to develop the churches in the north and south of Taiwan. We started Peniel Taipei in 2001 and Peniel Tainan in 2004 , and fellowship in Taouan in 2006.
The brothers and sisters in Taichung's church have been gradually growing in God’s pasture. Some of them have started their own fellowship to preach the gospel and lead people to Christ.
Let the river of the living water keep flowing out, which is the work of God. May the thankfulness and glory be unto our God who called us and love us in the name of Jesus. And let’s show forth His praise.
