What I took back from today's Staff Devotion

Today at staff devotion, we had a guest speaker come and share with us as our Division leaders went away for a retreat. Just wanted to note it down so that I won't forget. He was sharing about his difficulties in ministry with the youths and how it is so challenging, not so much the youths but many times, their parents can really be a pain as well.

Amongst his sharing, he mentioned how a parent got upset with him cause he had to tell their child to step down from ministry cause his relationship with God wasn't going well and it was starting to reflect outwardly in his ministry. And he went to still apologize to the parent. He told us "I apologized not because I did something wrong to her son, but I apologized because I hurt them."

When I heard that, it really touched my heart to know that we don't apologize because of the action that we did, but instead for the reaction that was caused by the initial action (which might not be wrong in the first place). This was something that I want to hold onto in every area of my life; my relationship with God, my family, my friends and my ministry.

Took a long break from blogging, took up Facebooking instead

Been missing in action because I realized that FaceBook is much easier to use since there is the Iphone which makes uploading of photos a breeze. But I guess unless you are added as friends on Facebook, otherwise viewing of content would not be possible. So I thought I better try to blog once in a while, so here goes.

I had the privilege yesterday to spend the entire day with Janice. Woke up with her, had meals with her, had a really long nap (2hrs) with her and bathe her as well. it was such a memorable day for me. On the normal days I love to play with Janice and all, but looking into the details of her life like naps and meals and bathing really isn't my forte. Only my close to perfect wife would be able to remember every single detail that needs to be done for Janice. But now, since both of us are working and my day off is on wednesday, I was able to have this opportunity to look after Janice by myself.

To have this time with Janice would be the start of our 'dates with daddy' times. I must really make it a point to do this regularly even when she grows up. I realized that a father's role in a child's life is so important. Not belittling the roles that mums play (which is very important as well), the dads would sometimes help be a good role model of the sort of man that our daughters would be looking for in future. Helping my daughter see that she deserves a man that truly loves her for who she is. And more importantly that Janice would come to me and tell me about the guys that would be asking her out and stuff. I want to be her listening ear and support whenever she needs me.

These are my ideals, I know that ministry sometimes would make all that sound impossible. But today it has been made known to me that in full time ministry, we are juggling my balls, but there are some balls that we must never drop and that is God and our Family. Ps Benny Ho mentioned about spending 1 hr a day, 2 to 3 hrs a week, 1 day a month and 2 to 3 days a quarter to spend with God. Time allocated with family is also very crucial, my family must know that they are more important to me than the ministries I am in. This is something that I am constantly learning and adjusting so that there would be a balance; but boy is that balance hard to find. I don't know if I will ever find that balance, but I know for sure that I will keep trying.

Receiving God's Revelation

Great stuff from Bill Johnson! Got infected by Mr Li and I have been reading quite a bit from Bill Johnson. So rather than just keeping it at mere knowledge, I am going to try to apply them in my life. So I will have to work on these 8 insights starting at having that Childlike faith in approaching God and His word. Will set aside 8 weeks to try my best to work on all 8 of them in becoming more of God's friend. Hope you all will be encouraged as well.

The following is a list of practical suggestions for those wanting to grow in revelation from God.

1. Become childlike. Simplicity and humility of heart helps qualify a person to hear from God, while the desire to be profound is a wasted desire. What many discover after years of teaching is that the word that is simple is often the most profound. “At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.” (Matthew 11:25)

2. Obey what you know. Jesus taught His followers, “If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.” (John 7:17) “If anyone wills . . . he shall know” – Clarity comes to the one willing to do the will of God. The willingness to obey attracts revelation, because God is the ultimate steward, investing His treasures into fertile ground – the surrendered heart.

3. Learn the biblical art of ‘meditation’. “I call to remembrance my song in the night; I will meditate within my heart, and my spirit makes diligent search.” (Psalms 77:6) Biblical meditation is a diligent search. Whereas religious cults teach people to empty their minds as the means of meditation, the Bible teaches us to fill our minds with God’s Word. Meditation has a quiet heart and a ‘directed’ mind. Mulling a word over in our heart, with a pursuit that springs from the inquisitive child’s heart, is meditation.

4. Live in faith. “Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” (2 Corinthians 4:4) Revelation comes to the one expressing faith! Live with the understanding that God has already willed to give you His mysteries (Matthew 13:11), and ask accordingly. Then thank Him in advance.

5. Acquire an understanding heart. This sort of heart has the foundations in place for something to be constructed upon it. These are the basic concepts of the King and His kingdom. Proper foundations attract the builder (revelator) to come and add to those foundations. “But knowledge is easy to one who has understanding.” (Proverbs 14:6) God wisely stewards fresh insight to those who have the basic principles in place. When fresh insights come, the understanding heart has a “slot to put it in”. It is not lost as seed spilled on the ground.

6. Give God your nights. I try to end each day with my heart’s affection stirred up and directed to the Holy Spirit. What an amazing way to go to sleep. The Song of Solomon reveals this poetically, “I sleep, but my heart is awake.” (Song of Solomon 5:2) God loves to visit us in the night and give us instruction that we would have a hard time receiving during the day.

7. Give away what you have already received. He draws out of the deep places in our hearts things that are not yet a part of our conscious thought processes. (Proverbs 20:5)

8. Become a friend of God. God shares His secrets with His friends. “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15)

Serving with Great People - Judah 4

I am simply amazed at how God's people would rise up to the occasion to give and serve beyond their physical limitations. Last Friday we had our huge event which catered for 46 people! There were so many new visitors that night too! Praise God for that!
When it came to the night before the event, the people were working so hard trying to get everything together and ready for the big night. I am so blessed to have people with such heart to serve God. We even have new visitors that came to help out. It is just so obvious that the heart of servant hood has been passed on through the people.
I want to do my best to lead this unit into greater heights in God. May God's hand be so evident in my service towards Him as well.

Passion vs Commitment

Yesterday at Ablaze conference 2009, we made it there in time to listen to Ps Ben of Lifeplace shared at the workshop. Having travelled all the way to Yandina just for that session, I felt it was so worthwhile! Ablaze conference rocks!!! God bless you guys at Ablaze even more over today and tomorrow morning.

During the workshop, we had a Q&A time where someone asked the question "What happens when I no longer have the passion to serve God"? When I heard Ps Ben's reply to that, I was so encouraged. He said along the lines of - serving God something Christians should be doing. It is not dependent on your feelings or passion. If that's how we walk in our Christian life, then there will always be lots of ups and downs, which makes our relationship and walk with God very unstable. If I had to choose, I'll choose commitment over passion.

That was so true and something that I had close to myself. Times when I feel so down and out, but still on the roster it says KM on worship leading. I would be dragging my feet to practise and all. But without fail, on Sunday pre-service practise will always sound like the worst session ever and it just gets worst. But when service starts, the time of Praise and Worship is handed over to God, I can just feel God ministering to myself as I lead. It is such a privilege and honor to serve God.

So when time comes where passion is all lost, remind yourself that as Jesus had to drag himself to carry the cross to Calvary, we too sometimes just have to pick up our cross and follow Christ no matter what!

Press on my fellow Christians!!!! Passion will come when we serve God wholeheartedly even when it is doing the lowest of tasks!

Unstoppable Christian Creed

I must first mention that this was quoted from Ps Shirley's Blog. After reading it again and again, I now believe that this should be every Christian's core values. Thus I am making it my cry as well! Take up your role as a responsible Christian and stop blaming others for your own deliberate faults and flaws!

My name is Kelvin

And I am unstoppable
I don’t flirt with or date the church

I’m not infatuated with the church

I have no illusion that the church is perfect

What I have is a commitment to love God’s church

Not just with words but with my hands and feet

I’ll neither point finger nor look further for the answer’s in the mirror

I believe God’s not dead; He’s building the church he died for

A living miracle of a bunch of imperfect people loving imperfect people

I believe God has called us to build this church without walls

My name is Kelvin

I am a living stone of God’s church

And together we are God's unstoppable Church!

Fear of men or fear of God?

Do I fear men more than I fear God? Have I done the things I am doing because it pleases men or because I know that it pleases God?

When I was prayed over today, the message that God spoke was about that fear that I have in my life, not being able to proceed on with God because of the fear that I have. I used to have such a 'we can do anything with Christ' attitude in the past as a student leader. But now as I have progressed into a different phase of life; married, working and being a Dad, I have that fear within me that the youths that I am ministering to might not be able to learn as much as they want to from me. And at times, that might have caused me to 'dilute' the message so that it might still be pleasing to the ears of people.
But in doing that, I am not helping them to grow spiritually; not helping them to set a higher standard in their Christian walk. I should have said things like 'Church conference will help you grow more if you would make that decision to come and allow God to speak to you' or 'You know this relationship is not something would be pleasing in the eyes of God right now, why do you still want to go ahead with it?' or 'Choose for yourselves this day who you want to serve; God or yourself.

I must remind myself that I hold the responsibility of raising a younger generation of Christ followers who would lead and rock this planet for Christ. And NO ONE is ever too young for God to touch and use!!!!! Please if you are reading this, remind me along the way if you feel that I have forgotten this fact.

There are plans and ideas of having life group nearer to IES, starting a youth service on Sunday and starting shepherding at 530am in the mornings. There is fear rising up within me as I even think about these ideas. Will it eventually happen? What will my leaders think, will my people follow me, will I give up half way? I am praying that these are ideas and inspired by God. And that I am responding because of my obedience towards God. May God give me the strength and perseverance to pray and seek His face until these all come to pass!

Multiplying Christ like people - Will God use me more in that area?

Yesterday was Day 1 of our Church conference 'EXPONENTIAL' Multiplying Christ like people. It was a good time where Ps Wilson was really reaffirming the hearts of the current mentors and also inspiring the future mentors to rise up as well.

It has been such a privilege to serve together with my core team, they have made serving God so much more fun and enjoyable. Today was the start of the guys coming together to develop both their spirit and physical man! It was so encouraging to see Jason, Wenyu, Josh and David meeting with myself to do a short run and 20 counts of star jumps at the Regatta Citycat Terminal. After waking ourselves up with the run, we went on to pray.

I really hope that this would last longer, just that some of the guys live a little further, thus it might be hard to do it on a daily basis, but at least on a weekly basis would be great as well!
In our prayer together, we prayed for:

• God to increase in us as we decrease.
• God to help us surrender our 'idols' in our lives
• God to help the guys in Judah 4 rise up even more to lead and serve the unit
• the upcoming IES July orientation that we'll see 2 groups of guys coming in. firstly guys that are not Christians but have hungry and ready heart to listen and accept the grace and forgiveness of God into their lives, secondly Christian guys whom God has built a strong foundations of convictions that will not weaver who are ready to serve God as His mouth piece together with us on IES.

And at the prayer, I also made a great discovery, that David is a really talented guitarist! He just started learning less than 1 year and he can already play songs like 'Hosanna'!! Praise God for raising up another guitarist!

After all that God has sparked off in the hearts of the males in the group, I really pray that the fire will continue to burn even stronger until the coming of Christ! Thanks guys!

Thought Provoking ....

Some thought provoking questions have been posed to me ...

1. Is your passion to see UQ and its campus ministry still growing strong as before?
   If you believe that God has called you to be in this particular ministry, what are some changes you would like to see in your life to make you more effective?
2. If you are just hanging in there because there is not one else doing it, what/which ministry would you like to be in?
3. If this is the ministry that God is calling you to, are you willing to give the next 3 years to it to build it up?

This calls for a time of serious searching and seeking God desperately. I hope my answers to these questions will not be ones that answers for the sake of it but answers that deepen my convictions and spur me to a new level of Faith and drive for the things upon His heart and the things He has called me to.

"Go" Prepare

In the midst of QT and preparation for the Advance this weekend, i found myself strucked by such a simple statement:

"You were looking for some big thing to give up, while God is telling you of some tiny thing that must go. But behind that tiny thing lies the stronghold of obstinacy, and you say, "I will not give up my right to myself"— the very thing that God intends you to give up if you are to be a disciple of Jesus Christ."

How many times have I asked God to reveal His ways to me, micro steps in ministry decisions and macro steps in life related to calling and directions. These past few weeks were likewise. But i gathered of my times of obstinacy, how slight and insignificant it could be, once laid down made pursuing of His will much more desirable and joyous. I reckon, that one top robber of joy and fulfilment in pursuing after His calling is our accumulation many slight "obstinacy". Attitudes, perspectives, emotional baggages, habits etc. Beware before it piles up.

For those who will be coming for the JG advance this weekend, "GO" prepare yourselves well, allow the Holy Spirit to search through your hearts, "GO" with expectations and see yourself stepping out, as an individual and as a Church. "GO" determined in your heart, that nothing of your mindsets and situations can stop Him from working in you and You responding to Him.