~ The Fellowship of the Unashamed ~

After listening to Pastor Lia's sermon!

Decided to find The Fellowship of the Unashamed!

The Fellowship of the Unashamed

I am a part of the fellowship of the Unashamed. I have the Holy Spirit Power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has
been made. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow
down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by presence, learn by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.

My pace is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my Guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, back up, let up, or shut up until I've preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until He returns, give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes.

And when He comes to get His own, He will have no problem recognizing me. My colors will be clear for "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.." (Romans 1:16)

By Dr. Bob Moorehead

I am inspired!

STAND

~ Relationships ~

Relationships (friendships, love, etc) in our lives and in church are important and recently it's been on my mind quite a bit. It made me start to ponder upon the importance of relationships especially when we put it in the church context and while acknowledging that it will only grow bigger.

As the church grows bigger, everybody will certainly get busier, people that are presently or currently in church, serving in ministries and all, will have to go to the next level. Minimally, majority of us would then have to step into ministry and treasure these relationships, even if we might be in the same CGs. Church growing bigger would lead to newer people and we see the importance of going to meet them and go for outings. Yet we constantly fail to remember the roots and relationships that we once used to have in the past.

However, the truth is that all the more we have to treasure these relationships and build on it, cause they were the basis of which church was built and established! Many times we look at the new batch of people, and then we tend to loose sight of the real purpose whilst we forget about past relationships or neglect those with the older people.

As the church grows bigger, the smaller in size we have to be. Ironic as it may sound, it’s the simple truth. That truth exists cause the bigger we are, the stronger the connections and relationships have to be. The deeper the relationships have to be and one of the only ways is to go small, to be tighter.

The question that we want to ask then is, what is your relationship like? I’m not talking about BGR (that of course we wait till the appointed time), but about the relationships, friendships with friends, brothers & sisters in Christ alike.

Do you know your fellow CG or ministry members well?

What is their favorite color? What is their favorite food? What are their hobbies? What got them saved in church? What impacts them the most?

Can you answer those questions?

If you can’t than it’s time to take a check on your relationship with each other. The reason why it’s so important is because the strength of a relationship would bring forth the strength of a team when called upon. The relationship of the people in this would reflect the strength of the team that is available.

A CG or a ministry that has strong relationships would be a CG that’s always there to encourage and push each other through breakthroughs. It’s also one that when a new person steps in, they’ll be automatically pulled into the relationship and atmosphere. Likewise, it is with a revelation and stronger walk with God that we’re able to achieve this and run with God.

For we love God that we connect with others and go all the way for them to be saved.

For we love others, that is why we are friends with them and want to connect with them.

For we love life, that is why we do life together in this relationship, treasuring each other.

Relationships are a reflection on the ways of which we love God, love others, and love life… relationships are a reflection on the strength of the team… how strong do you want your relationships with either to be?

In Acts, we saw how the disciples were strong in their relationship and it's precisely because of that shared relationship with Jesus, and each other that they were praying together in the upper room. What's more, it was as 'they were all with one accord in one place' that the coming of the Holy Spirit came.

Are your relationships for the right purpose and for His ways? If so, when you are together, the anointing will flow through, and there will be an abundance of miracles.

Build strong relationships with each other, for God and His purpose!

'I do it God, cause, I love You.'

It's funny that now at 3.36 AM, that I'm typing this blog, it has no real teaching, no real sharing, except that of a love that I feel right now for God.

After watching Gladiator, I sat there and asked myself, why do we do the things that we do? Do we do it cause we have to? Or do we do it cause we want to?

Dwelling in that question, I listen to the song In Liberty, and it just captures the heart, as God speaks into my heart.

'I am free, free.

All my chains are broken.'

I proclaim it loud in my heart, my mind, body and spirit. We do not choose to get bondage, but Christ has died to set us free from that bondage. Do we do the things we do cause we're bonded to do so?

No. We do it cause we 1st want to, what than causes you to change in that stand?

As I listen to this song, I'm reminded of the times that I've deeply encountered God, and suddenly the image of the D Odds chalet hits me, wave after wave. It's not about having to do it, but it's about wanting to do it, it's about loving God and having God in my life.

Remember the day, the night, in the wee hours of 1, 2, 3+ am, of which what started out as a number of 10, grew to as big as 50, 60+ members all gathered around Dominic with his guitar and Huishan supporting, as Huimin accompanies in the leading, all coming together for 1 reason, to worship God.

What then are we doing? Do we do it because we have to? No. I can safely say no, we don't have to do it. Do we want to do it? Yes, but is it really doing it? On that day and even right now, I feel the waves of love filling me, refreshing and an immense sense of peace.

What than? Why do you go to church? Why do you serve? Why do you do your people work? Why do you do the many things that you're doing in church, in ministries, in your CGs?

Return back to that 1st love?

As the image replays, I realize, it's not about us gathering cause we had to, but it's about us gathering together to worship, to minister, to praise... to... LOVE GOD.

God spoke to me then, 'Colin, why do you do the things that you do?'

I knew then, the root of my frustrations, i knew then the resource and the solutions, the answer to all my questions that I've been facing and asking myself...

So I answer, 'I do it God, cause, I love You!'

~ Oceans Will Part ~

This was just a song that I was listening to while I was preparing sermon today, and I know that I haven't really been blogging, but thought that this song would encourage a number of people, as it did me.

"No longer I who liveth, but Christ who liveth in me"

Oceans Will Part

Hillsong (in the past)

If my heart has grown cold

There Your love will unfold

As You open my eyes to the work of Your hand

When I'm blind to my way

There Your Spirit will pray

As You open my eyes to the work of Your hand

As You open my eyes to the work of Your hand

Oceans will part nations come

At the whisper of Your call

Hope will rise glory shown

In my life Your will be done

Present suffering may pass

Lord Your mercy will last

As You open my eyes to the work of Your hand

An my heart will find praise

I'll delight in Your way

As You open my eyes to the work of Your hand

As You open my eyes to the work of Your hand

Let God be the light and direction of our lives!

Will be posting something out soon, a reflection and thoughts on certain things!

Let's grow!

~ With All I Am ~

Just got back from KL! Had an awesome trip with Pastor How, Garrett, Jamie, Jian Ming, Yong Hui, Koon Yew, and but of course, Wei Ling!

It was a great trip, where we had so many adventures, from running all the way from a place called sunggeiwang to Pastor's hotel, to all the fantastic food that Pastor Kevin Loo just kept pushing and introducing to us. We had a blast, and what's the testimony of that?

Our stomachs!

However, recently, there has been some questions that I want to put forth to everybody out there, and challenge them to try think of the answers.

I was just thinking just how much is it that one can always say that they have convictions, but when they meet up with problems, they so easily let go. What are your convictions then?

If we consider how just a little bit of school, a little bit of tests and examinations, friends, music can pull us away, then... do we really have convictions?

I've been tired and in the last 2 days, I've been seeing how people are just starting to waiver and start to lose their dreams in God; worship leader, people leader, worship team drummer, worship team guitarist, back-up vocalist.

How do you lose your dreams in God? In reality, you lose them because you didn't have convictions in the start.

It was so amazing cause I was just thinking about all of these people, and a burden in my heart came so fresh, I just couldn't let go of that burden in my heart, and felt so down-trodden; then God asked me, what were my convictions?

I couldn't help it but the presence of God came and I knew that I had to do my Quiet Time.

The song I chose was this song...

With All I Am (by Hillsong - Australia)

Into Your hand

I commit again

With all I am

For You Lord

You hold my world

In the palm of Your hand

And I'm Yours forever

Jesus I believe in You

Jesus I belong to You

You're the reason that I live

The reason that I sing

With all I am

I'll walk with You

Wherever You go

Through tears and joy

I'll trust in You

And I will live

In all of Your ways and

Your promises forever

Jesus I believe in You

Jesus I belong to You

You're the reason that I live

The reason that I sing

With all I am

I will worship

I will worship You

I will worship

I will worship You forever

Jesus I believe in You

Jesus I belong to You

You're the reason that I live

The reason that I sing

With all I am

That is the declaration of my heart; that no matter what happens, that no matter what I have to go through, my convictions will NEVER sway.

God is my reason that I live.

With all I am, I will live for Him alone.

Think Moses, think Joshua...

Think... Jesus

To God a heart of flame

To others a heart of love

To self a heart of steel

It's a day for reflection and thoughts, where the Sunday comes to a halt in the absence of that 1 integral part of my week; week in, week out... service. Since doing ushering on the 1st day of Festival of Praise, I've not had service the next 2 days.

The word to describe it all... unreal

Like for example, today, we had CG... Wait!

Come to think of it, let me blog about CG!

It was a satisfying.

Why?

Simply because from the worship, to the Word, sharing, to the discussions, and culminating to the prayer, God's presence just really came.

In this time, I've realised that I've come quite a long way from the time since I 1st stepped into Heart of God Church.

In the last 1 month alone, I've learnt much, especially when it comes to people.

The fragile-ness and insecurities of a heart, and a person's character. Things can be broken and images torn down in those split seconds. The open-ness of a heart is laid bare when certain areas are broken through and spoken into.

It started to just remind me that God is in control and He gives us choices. Choices in which, though we may feel so laid bare, so down & out, so depressed, confused and discourage, yet He is always there.

The question is, 'do you know and acknowledge He is there?'

Deuteronomy 1:21

"Look, the LORD your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the LORD God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged."

Thus when we feel fear or discouraged, let us remember that the LORD has 'set the land' before us. We just have to go up and possess it. It doesn't just refer to physical lands, but that of the mind, body, soul, the spiritual proclamation of the heart and Spirit.

I'm just going to leave this as it it, cause it's where it resounds...

As Mark 4:9

"And He said to them,'He who has ears to hear, let him hear!' "

~ Faith ~

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen"
~ Hebrews 11:1 ~

To me, this verse, though it was a verse like to remember in last year's VBS. It was a really powerful thing to me because as I was doing my Quiet Time (QT) just now, God placed this verse back into my heart again!

In the recent weeks, I've not been really very faith filled in certain areas of my life, and I think like when Fifi shared with us about faith during the leaders meeting last night (like until 115am in the middle of the night), it really impacted me!

It set me thinking and made me realise just how much I had to be living in faith, and living with faith. Normally, many people will live by the agenda of 'success breeds faith', but like what was shared yesterday, I truly believe in the other way round, 'faith breeds success'!

I sat there thinking back to the day I was 1st told to lead Effects Ministry, and then, a revelation hit me. In those times, I really didn't know anything, didn't know what to expect, didn't know just what I had to do, but I know I had just 1 thing... FAITH!

Faith to trust in the Lord.
Faith to lead the ministry.
Faith that the Lord will lead me to lead the ministry.

This is when I started to see Effects grow and mature, as talents grew and more people became more planted and committed in the ministry. It gave me the strength and the wisdom to lead, that simple faith and trust in God.

Only then did I realise just how much I really missed spending that time with God and to just cast all my inner and deeper burdens unto Him. Hence, as I was planning and doing a number of things just now, when there was just a burden to go into His presence and pray, I took that step of faith and did it.

I didn't care whether or not it would mean sacrificing sleep and working late. I didn't care whether it mean being physically spent. To me, all that mattered was that simple believe and faith that the only reason why I was called and burdened to do so, was that God wanted to do something.

I am glad that I did it.

During my QT, after being planted that Word, I realised just how powerful that 1 verse was in my life. It literally translate the essence of faith, to just believe and trust that things will happen, where at the end of it, it will become an evidence of things that would come.

As I dwelled in God's presence, He led me in prayer and I suddenly felt the burden to pray for certain things in my life and for certain people that I never really did count as priority people. In the end, the burden grew so strong, the presence came so strongly, I could do nothing but pray as the Lord leads and as I wept in His presence.

Towards the end, I could feel an tingling and electrifying experience flowing from my fingers and hands, to the rest of my body. It was as though God was just saying, 'have faith, I will lead you as you have faith that I will!'

I will live as that, and commit my life, into that simple essence of relationship with God...

FAITH