Serving...

I got this little devotional and it hit me like *wham*! It said what professional life has been till now... read la. After that I was like "he he he... I definitely did the right thing!"

Serving from the Heart
by Rick Warren

From now on if you listen obediently to the commandments that I am commanding you today, love God, your God, and serve him with everything you have within you, he'll take charge of sending the rain at the right time .... Deuteronomy 11:13-14 (MSG)

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Repeatedly, the Bible says to "serve the Lord with all your heart." God wants you to serve him passionately, not dutifully. People rarely excel at tasks they don't enjoy doing or feel passionate about. God wants you to use your natural interests to serve him and others.

How do you know when you're serving God from your heart?

The first telltale sign is enthusiasm. When you're doing what you love to do, no one has to motivate you, or challenge you, or check up on you. You do it for the sheer enjoyment. You don't need rewards, or applause, or to be paid, because you love serving in this way.

The opposite is also true: When you don't have a heart for what you're doing, you're easily discouraged.

One characteristic of serving God from your heart is effectiveness: whenever you do what God wired you to love to do, you get good at it. Passion drives perfection. If you don't care about a task, it is unlikely that you'll excel at it.

On the other hand, the highest achievers in any field are those who do it because of passion, not duty or profit.

We've all heard people say, "I took a job I hate in order to make a lot of money, so someday I can quit and do what I love to do." That's a big mistake. Don't waste your life in a job that doesn't express your heart.

Remember, the greatest things in life are not things. Meaning is far more important than money. The richest man in the world once said, "A simple life in the fear-of-God is better than a rich life with a ton of headaches" (Proverbs 15:16 MSG).

Don't settle for achieving "the good life," because the good life is not good enough. Ultimately, it doesn't satisfy. You can have a lot to live on, and still have nothing to live for. Aim instead for "the better life" - serving God in a way that expresses your heart.

Figure out what you love to do - that which God gave you a heart for - and then do it for his glory!

The tabernacle

My Pastor is taking band with her to minister at a conference on Saturday so I'm looking after their practice tonight... and i'm doing a short devotion with them before practice... was asking God what to share...and He directed me towards the tabernacle. The outer courts and the inner courts and the priests and how it was so crowded in the outer courts with ppl slaughtering their animals for sacrifice etc. But the inner courts was just for the priests and the holy of holies was just for the high priest once a year...read Exodus 25 - 30 and it's so detailed, the instructions. Then i looked up a picture of the tabernacle and it made so much sense.

Very much like our worship now... its all noisy and crowded outside...but we are all priests now, and we need to step into that quiet place where we minister to the Lord in worship...and into the Holy of Holies where the presence of the Lord is and where He speaks and ministers to us.

Check out this song :

Take me past the outer courts
And through the holy place
Past the brazen altar
Lord I want to see your face

Pass me by the courts of people
And the priests who sing their praise
I hunger and thirst for Your righteousness
But its only found in one place

So take me into the Holy if holies
Take me in by the blood of the Lamb
So take me into the Holy of Holies
Take the coal, cleanse my lips
Here I am

Away... to hear your voice...

With all I am...

In moments like these...
I sing out a love song
A love song to Jesus

In moments like these...
I sing out to you
I sing out my all
I sing out my everything
All of me
Every ounce
Every fibre of being
Everything that I have is yours Lord

My very purpose of existence
When you founded the world
YOU thought of me

When you laid the core of this earth
YOU were thinking of me
When you hung your head and died
YOU, My God, My King, My saviour, was thinking of me.

What could I ask for?
What more is there Lord?
What more do I need but your love, your grace, your mercy

My eyes looks up to heaven
To wonder upon your greatness
To witness your beauty
To fathom your infinite wisdom and power

Who am I Lord?
That YOU see me worthy to be called a Son of the Living God
An heir, to eternity of worship with you
What greater reward than to know you and Worship MY JESUS!!

With all I am.
I worship you my KING!!

Alone

For the second time this year Pastor left me in charge of the service. The Pastors are away in Singapore. Ps Benjamin Yeoh preached... but there was a little scare...Worship started and he still wasnt here yet!! Midway through the second song he came...PHEW!! I was thinking of a sermon I could pull up if I needed to...or just might share my testimony...and focus on Passion for God...suprisingly...actually not suprisingly...but it was the Holy Spirit...Ps Ben also spoke about the same thing. Passion for God...

Well the interview last week went pretty well...7 pastors from the CDC interviewed me... and 3 other... but dunno why they asked me most of the questions...haha... but it was good.. I actually enjoyed it... I guess I really feed of these things... extrovert in the true sense of the word!! haha...

Youth Culture class is coming to an end next Monday (24/11). Its been interesting..learnt a lot... and still learning...Pastor Julie Koo is super inspiring la.. Amazing how she has such a PERSONAL relationship with God and it just flows out to everything that she does...

She hasn't taken a salary from the church in more than 20 years!! That is truly a life of faith!! I wonder what I would do if God asked me to do that...woah scary... But my life in His hands...I guess there isnt anything to worry about...

Dunno what happened after class...I was really freaking out... Think it was the combination of not enough sleep and sugar overload...was seriously saiko!! haha... ok back to normal today I guess...

I see Jeremy and Sui li and Flora growing in the Lord... nice to see that in class also... There is an amazing number of ppl who just hunger and thirst for God so much!! And their burden for young people is so deep and searching...truly amazing!!

Ok worship leading this Sunday...speak Lord...I'm listening... what songs do YOU want this Sunday...? One of it I know is below... the rest?

It's going in...

This Monday... two big things in my life are happening.

1. At 2.30 pm, I have an interview. With the Assemblies of God of Malaysia Central District. It's my credentials interview. I'm not really worried about it, but its kinda hanging there.. These people have the power to decide if the A/G of Malaysia will recognise me or not... haha...its a bit scary but exciting at the same time...another milestone...

2. I will be submitting all my forms and stuff to the Bible College of Malaysia to apply to be a student studying a Bachelor of Theology. It's gonna be long, a full time student does it in 3 years... I, depending on the number of subjects I take per semester...might do it in 6 to 7 years... not really in a hurry...I just hope I don't run out of steam...

It's no turning back now!

When I speak your name...

Worship last Sunday

I led in worship last Sunday... I was off the Thursday before and I just took my guitar at home and started playing. I already knew one of the songs I was going to sing...it was a new song. Quite powerful...

Here it is : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPKzCyc0GXY

Was playing the Saviour of the world DVD by Planetshakers...and that song really spoke to me. Saviour of the world... the lyrics so true!!

Amazingly the songs just flowed...I've spent hours figuring out my songlist for Sundays..but sometimes when you're so in tune with God's spirit it just comes across so fast...but sometimes its good that it takes time too... He can really speak so clearly...

As soon as I finished one song God popped in the next one... was really amazing!!

Then Sunday comes. Usually I come in about 8.20 or so and spend time in prayer and preparing myself for the service, even if I am not worship leading... but this Sunday I only arrived at 8.45...seriously late... then had to prepare the youth video and YADS promo video etc...

So I did something i haven't done in a while. I didnt prepare myself fully... so we practiced at 9 am...then prayed with the group. I had a nagging feeling something wasnt right. I was worried about the video and if the multimedia team had it ok...just couldnt focus.

Then worship time came... and it was ok... but it just wasnt the same as it was in the video... I tried to play harder, sing louder get things going...but something was just missing... then I heard His voice... Something like "nothing you do can make it better or worse, you're not relying on Me."

It hit me like a tonne of bricks... I was so concentrating on the technicalities, the right chords, the right things to say...that I somehow left God out of worshipping God. It was like God gave me a knock on the head and said, "Boy, do you remember who you are worshipping, or are you just follwong routine?" And I realized I had fallen into the trap...

Sometimes you get so much in a routine...or a fixed way of doing things, it leaves little room for the Spirit of God to move... when it should really be God running the show, His Spirit leading...and I fell in that trap. All this is going on in my head as we're singing the 3rd and 4th song...

By the last song I completely surrendered to God...and I felt a difference...and I told myself that should never happen again. I shouldn't come not 100% prepared. I should submit to the Spirit and not run things... when it's worship...it should never be a show!

He really taught me a lesson last Sunday.

I'm worship leading again on 23 Nov... it's going to be different...

some highlights of the year

My first official preaching session at youth combined... spoke on 'Connecting with Friends' thus the verse you can see...















The YADs Heritage Hunt to Melaka...an awesome team effort by the committee most of those who went had loads of fun and really enjoyed the food!
















The Very Eventful youth trip to Gua Tempurung for caving...this was loads of fun and I found out how much I like caving! :)














The Paradise Worship Concert live in RCKL. I programmed the lighting...but Jon Chia's shots are really quite nice...i love this one...the contrast of the people on stage and the crowd worshiping!
















Din tell you bout this one... a quick 2 day 1 night trip to melaka to celebrate Rannet & Shoby's 1st wedding anniversary. On the way...some excellend durian dusun from Alor Gajah! So yummy!!

Great company...good food...we actually prayed for the Orchard owner before we left as he was a Christian too!

2008 Update :)

Haha…. Just saw the date of my last post and realized it has almost been a year! It’s August 20^th, 51 weeks since my last post…think that was about Sabah.

Well here’s a quick update by months

Dec 2007

I officially resigned as Project Manager at Ayesha Harben and Associates after almost 4 years of working there. Came in as an executive and somehow I found myself as PM…not prime minister but project manager la... This job has taught me so much! What I didn’t realize was that this job actually was preparing me for my next phase in life…which was to start on Jan 1, 2008.

Jan 2008

Started officially working in Revival Centre, my beloved church as a Ministerial Staff. Taking on the leadership of the Music and Worship, Multimedia, Young Adults, Special Events, PA, Webmaster, assisting the youth and basically any other work that needed to be done.

This is a huge step for me. Something that I knew I would be doing eventually. But to actually get into it...so much fear and trepidation.

One of the first things that happen in church is Ps Benedict Rajan did a weekend with us. And in the Sunday Service, he calls me out (actually he calls me Muthusamy in jest!!) and says this is a year of decision for me and God is giving me 1 Tess 5:24 as a promise…that the God who called me is a FAITHFUL God.

Woah…it hit me big time…and yes. A truly humbling experience…and comforting to…and over the next few months…I was going to be holding on to this verse with all that was in me!!

Feb 2008

I’m still staying in PJ…traveling everyday to church in Ampang is killing me…getting up so early…have to leave by 7am in order to reach church in time…begin looking for a place somewhere nearer to church.

Working in church is a stark reality. I begin to see how things are done…a huge huge difference from the corporate world. But it is so much better a working atmosphere here…

March 2008

One day I’m driving back to my parents place and I pass by this apartments called Tudor Court. I just think to myself that it would be a nice place to stay as it is no near church and quite convenient… but it was just a tought.

Towards the 15^th of March, I’m moving in to an apartment here. God opened the way miraculously. When I went to see the place, I immediately knew that God had kept this apartment for me. Then when my landlady found out I worked in the church…she even gave me a really good discount on the rent! Praise the Lord.

I didn’t have the cash to pay the deposit, but the night before I had to, someone took me to the ATM and withdrew the amount and said God asked him/her to give it to me. Amazing isn’t it? His timing is ALWAYS perferct!

April 2008

Moved into my place…and gradually started getting stuff in. Was a good feeling to finally get my own place…at age 32. My aunty gave me a bed for my birthday…it was a nice bed…but it had no mattress. My mum gave me a 2” mattress that left me have aches all over my body in the morning. Looked at quite a few shops around ampang couldn’t find anything I could afford.

A church member takes me to a place where she knows the owner…and lo and behold I found one I could afford and she even buys me a mattress protector!! Amazing stuff our God can do!

In church, I start work on my first big project, the church camp! It’s a major challenge as things go really smooth at first but later…well see June.

May 2008

Started my first class in the Bible School of Malaysia…Counseling Methodology. Amazing, in depth analysis of technique etc. Learn so much! Its tough getting back to doing assignments etc… but it had to be done…

June 2008

Church camp is fast approaching…after Stephanie and Marissa’s amazing promotion in church…there is an overwhelming registration! 170 ppl register for camp…the all time biggest record for our church!

But, the hotel has run out of rooms. To cut a long story short, after a lot of prayer and so much of sweat and tears…God shows up and saves the day. The camp went reasonably well, people were very satisfied…except for those who stayed in the apartments…but I guess some sort of compromise had to be done…God gave us a really good camp.

It taught me so many things. How it is different when you are working directly for the Lord. How to rely on God and not on your own strength. How you can plan but only God can make it happen!!

July 2008

Get my second huge project…the church 30^th Anniversary Celebrations. Working hard with my committee and trying to get things going…too much details to put down…but I see so many interesting things.

The YADS committee continue to inspire me. We’re planning a heritage walkabout hunt in Melaka…and the girls and guy do it so well! God again turns up…gives us great weather and even let us go by bus and helped us break even and make a RM 12 profit!! I stand in awe of how much these girls pour out of themselves for the Young Adults…so many things are happening! And it can only get better!

Influence conference at GTPJ taught me so many more things. Working with such an amazing team of people…so dedicated, so strong, so focused in prayer and in what God wants us to do. He has great things in store for us!!

Took my second class in BCM. Worship Leading. Ps Lee Meng Chiam is an amazing teacher. He is the worship Pastor of Grace Assembly in Singapore and does things on the acoustic guitar that I have never seen done before…think Jon Koo and Alwin were also stunned! It was just amazing!

I learnt so much from Him…refined my worship leading arts and science much more. Instituted what I learnt in the class straight into the ministry…good things are in store!

August 2008

Which brings us to now. We just finished our first true blue worship concert in RCKL. The Paradise Community Church Band and Ps Matt Heinz came over and did an amazing job! God is so great… will put in pix soon. Good worship, great teaching, lives changed, people touched. The beautiful Hand of God at work again.

Other than the overall execution of the anniversary dinner…I’m currently focusing on the video for it… and I think I’ve got the base idea right. Pastor gave some really good suggestions too…its gonna be good…but its gonna take time and lotsa effort.

Went for the Youth Pastors School. This year it was amazing. Not so out there like the last years…but a really good bunch of people and we’ve kept in touch after that (thanks to facebook!) and the next step is the Youth Culture Class on Mondays

I would have to not to go prayer mtg / bible study every Mondays to attend class, but only till end November. A bit bummed about that…but I think it’s vital I start racking my credits up and doing classes that are relevant to my ministry…

So things are going great…there have been so many miracles that God has done in the last 8 months. No time to write here but it will come up in my sermons soon I guess J

I have grown and matured in the Lord so much in the last 8 years. I have fallen. I have gotten up. I have cried so much. I have been comforted so much. He is with us and will never leave us nor forsake us!

This is truly a new life altogether…

More to come… stay tuned.

Pulau Sipadan

The next phase

It’s 9.40 pm. I’m sitting in my office. Outside the rain is pelting down hard. Yet “Rain down on me” is playing on my itunes. I’m in the office but I haven’t been doing any work since about 7.00. Been constantly sms-ing somebody…just day to day, run of the mill, stuff…about 20 smses…back and forth. Was surfing here and there.

I have this vague sense of bittersweetness. A little fear, trembling even. And somehow I ask myself questions that I know only He can answer. I see myself bordering on getting depressed. The Holy Spirit prompted me to move in a different direction so I don’t fall there.

You see I got back at 3.00am last night from Semporna Sabah. Was there for a week for the ending of the DiGi Amazing Malaysian Sabah poject. For once Air Asia let me down and was 2 hours delayed from Tawau. http://www.digi.com.my/aboutdigi/community/cm_about.do

Sabah was good. We took the last day to visit Pulau Sipadan, Kapalai and Mabul. Beautiful islands…yet somehow I just couldn’t relax.

2 days before as all the children were doing their rehearsal. One section of the stage fell collapsed. When I saw that my heart fell like a brick from a ten storey building. These were children. Somebody’s son and daughter. I ran to the stage. About 12 of them were in a hole in the stage, about 4 feet deep. Broken plywood and support beams built by a half-baked vendor is Semporna. It just couldn’t take the load of so many children concentrated in one area.

Eric ran to the same area. Peter was there too. We carried them out to safety. A few had twisted ankles. We suspected one was broken. I mean these were 8 to 12 year olds. How could we let this happen? I thought of my own nephew and niece. I would be raving mad if something like that had happened to them!

It was only God’s grace that saved each one of them. Only 4 had sprained their ankle slightly. No fractures. No punctures. No blood. And all were able to perform the next day. If that had happened on the event day…I can’t event think of the consequences…from the client. From the community…I wouldn’t have forgiven myself. It was just too much at some point. Then I realized God’s goodness and mercy. It flows new every morning! He loves us too much! Even in that tragedy…there was so much good that came out of it. We were able to think on out feet and just manage the situation, the parents, the whole thing. God gave us wisdom at the right time!

I have more or less started my countdown of leaving Ayesha Harben and Associates. This would be my third last project for the DiGi campaign. A few more for the ministry and 2 more for another client. The last 3+ years have been phenomenal at AHA. I have grown so much professionally, personally. As a producer. As an event person. As a PR practitioner. As a strategic thinker.

And I know it’s God’s training ground. In the back of my mind I knew this was all temporary. The call of God has been so strong all my life. I look back and see some pivotal moments in my life. Me going to Singapore. Me deciding to take up the AV part in school. Becoming head prefect. Leadership roles. The MYF back here in KL. Leaving the Methodist Church and coming to Revival Centre.

I remember struggling with that decision. Am I really to leave the Methodist church? Could I possibly be making the right decision? If I were to leave who will stay and fight the fight? To be there for the young people? I now know that God raises people. At the right time and place. To glorify His name, to do His work and will. It’s not about you. It’s about just submitting to His will.

I thank God for Revivl Centre. How much I have grown here. Spiritually…I feel I’ve conquered Mt Kinabalu…and there’s still Everest to go. In January 2008, I’m joining the church full time. My passion for the young people has not died. It fact its grown by leaps and bounds. And suddenly, in the last 7 years, the Worship element of my life has sky rocketed. “Blessed be your name, even when I walk through the wilderness, Blessed be your name”

Worship…oh Worship…where do I start. “Every blessing you have poured out I will turn back to praise!” I just adore Him. I just want to say thank you. When Jesus rode out on a donkey to enter Jerusalem, the people were shouting ‘Praise the Lord. Blessed be the Lord for the Son of David’. The priests asks Jesus how He could let that happen. And He answered: “If they were to keep quiet, the stones in the field will break out in Praise!!”

For who are we compared to the Great Creator! The Maker of the Heavens and the Earth! He is worthy of all praise! He is worthy! For He ALONE is God!! He has no equal!! We mere mortals stand in awe of the Living God…

I’m worshiping leading this Sunday. And I’m excited. I’m so excited. What an honour. What a true priviledge to just lead His people into His presence. As a worship leader..we are to disappear. We are the PVC pipe that leads people to God. No one wants to worry too much about the Pipe. But more so where the pipe is leading them to! Lord make me that channel that leads your people into your presence.

I’ve got so many things I want to plan and do. I don’t know yet if they’re just my plans or if it’s God inspired…but I have this yearning in my heart! This unquenchable fire. So excited to do things for Him. When I was in the Methodist church I thought it the Ministry was one of poverty, of constantly being poor and being that church mouse.

But its not that. The AOG churches have so much to do that’s cutting edge. Production. Youth and Music. Ministry that takes you to higher heights of service, but only for those surrender to servanthood. I read it again and again. Servanthood. For those who want to be great in the Kingdom of God must be a servant of all. Not to sit in lofty seats but to be prepared to go the extra mile…not because of duty or compulsion… but just because we love the name of Jesus. For he first loved us.

Honestly, I’m finding it hard to be motivated in work in AHA. Knowing what lies ahead, I press forward! But I know while I am here I have to give it my all. And I want to end this year with a bang in AHA. To really do cutting edge stuff. You see these last few years, god has been training me for such a time like this. I’m a professional producer in God’s service. Not that I am blowing my own trumpet, but its all about a spirit of excellence. Whatever we do, to do it perfectly well for God, with His guidance.

I was on the committee for the Influence conference. I didn’t get much sleep. Same like work. There were long hours. Same like work. There were trying times. Just like work. But there was something so much more than that! And the end of the whole thing. I was on my knees. Not in prayer but I was re-laying the mic cables on GTPJ’s stage. And I was in tears. I have checked on cables 1000 times before. I have worked out production schedules. I have drawn projection diagrams. But this time it was so much different. For the first time I was doing something professionally for GOD! Not indirectly, but something directly that opens up the way for many into the Kingdom of God. For there first time I realized the verse “you were created for such a time like this”. Read Esther. She was set in that place for a time like that. I read about the begger that “threw aside his coat” when Jesus called Him. And he was healed. His coat was His security. He threw it aside. I can’t wait to jump into this new phase in my life.

How many times before I look at the huge stages and the huge budgets that go out to the DiGi events. And I wish they were Christian events. Why can’t that be a reality?

God speaks in so many ways. From the sea of Sipadan. Where I saw a thousand fish in 2000 colours! Beautiful coral…all God’s creation. From the safety and great weather of the events. From those kids that fell, but were not injured. From the safety getting there and back. From the whole event. How clear He speaks…and here I was wondering why He isn’t speaking to me as much… He IS our amazing God who speaks.

I was wondering why Oliver wasn’t getting a job. Was even feeling frustrated for him. Then I read His blog. I realized how much God was working on oliver’s personal relationship with God. What a special special time he is having right now! It brought tears to my eyes.

I’m going back now…and even now. I hear God’s voice so clearly. His awesome presence. The comfort of the Holy Spirit. So wow. So nice. So amazing. How great is our God!

semporna in sabah

And we even had a taste of tradionally cooked Bajau food. lotsa seafood...check out the crabs...really yumsums! Amazing hospitality...imagine 4000 people living on stilts above the water...really an amazing experience...
this is one of the calmest places in semporna, sabah...possible the site of one of the next amazing malaysians programme

back with a vengeance!

Hi all,

I'm back. Finally...its been a long long journey since the rainforest festival. Many trials and learnings...grown a lot individually, learnt a lot of painful lessons..adn some not so painful ones... have lost some friends and gained some new ones.

Saw some of my closest friends getting married, some about to get married and some proposing and setting the date and things like that. Pretty interesting stuff. MP and CS are getting married! Woo hoo...they finally set the date...he proposed to her quite romantically... http://when-two-become-one.blogspot.com/ ...never thought he had it in him...but loves makes you do strange things ai guess..and they are definitely ready to get married...for sure. gotta pray real hard for them...but I'm sure God is having his way in their lives...

Kinda makes me think when is my turn...think I'm ready...but then again...God is still working unb my life... Have made some pretty hard decisions recently...and have decided that I am going to stick by them...tell you more when I have actually set those plans into action. It's gonna call for some drastic actions...but hey...God is for me who can be against me...


Been thinking also about the people that I have upset in the past... a certain group of them... Its sad that I dont know how but I managed to upset them quite badly... i think sometimes if i could have done things differently, said it differently...but i guess it all happens for a reason. And God is in control. So I am not worried. If you're reading this. I dunno why things happened the way it did. But I wished it otherwise, and never did I have any bad intentions... guess you all know me well enough to know that's the honest truth. But the past is the past. Its a new year. Its a new phase in my life...so if ever i can make up for it, you just have to ask.

Work has thrown me new challenges. I can honestly say that i have covered every state in this country and encountered many many unique situations. and I have learnt and grown so much. Professionally, personally and even physically! But the gym hopefully can help me there... when i do get around to going for classes there tho...

renovations are just about done in the office... its looking pretty nice. And more responsibilities are being thrown my way...but I have to be up to the task. Looking forward to the langkawi and sabah and melaka projects...that might be fun and if the other nationwide one kicks off...wlll lets just say that it will definitely be a challenge...

Church is great...have to plan my time better. But I have my priorities in the right place. So watch this place... More happenin stuff just round the corner.