Inspired to Impact

Bringing it to the NEXT level

2010-07-26T21:23:00.002+08:00

It has been a while since I update my blog. Have been with stuff...work & other commitments. Anyway, glad to be here and I'm glad to hear that some of my readers are blessed by my blog content. I hope it inspires you and God will continue pouring His blessing into your life.

For the past few weeks (months) i've been busy with teaching, auditioning, doing workshop, gigging and the best of all..travelling! It's such an amzing experience how God brought me to places I never been before..teaching at places i never thought before, talking & inspiring people i never met before. It's such a great season for myself. I believe this is just some part of the reward that has been prepared by God. I learn to remain faithful with whatever little things He has entrusted me with. And for the past few years...He kept me hidden, sharpen me (and still) and pour His grace and blessings upon my life & my family's life.

This is a season for me to share my knowledge / experience, teach & mentor new musicians/young people. I just thank God for the momentum and i know, there's a price for all these. A friend once told me that he wish if he can be like me..travelling around, performing here & there. But I know that this is nothing compare to what God has prepared for me. There is time for everything. I always believe that it is important for us to remain faithful with little things. God will reward us according to our faithfulness. He will bring us to the NEXT level. From good to better, better to best. From 1, become 2, become 4, 8 and so on...we need to be faithful and be persistent. Don't copy other people's process in life...just learn the principles.

Oh, need to go..got some work to be done. Have a great day friends. Remain faithful and remain hidden...until God release you. Stay blessed.

God's Workmanship

2010-04-13T08:11:00.002+08:00

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (so we may do them)" Ephesians 2:10

We know that we're redeemed by God (Ephesians 1:7-12), we are who we are and what we are today because of His work of redemption at the cross. Now, God didn't stop there. In Him, Jesus Christ, we are his workmanship. Jesus, The Creative One, has created us, design us, shape us not just to look good or to be seen good, He created us to do good works. There's long list of good works and we have the capabilities to do it. I believe that for every single problems or issue in this world, God already have the answer for it and it is inserted in us through Christ Jesus. We just need to walk in it.

Sometimes we christians try hard to squeeze our head to find a solution the problems/issue we're facing at the moment, we forgot that it is already prepared, the solutions (the good works) is already prepared before hand. We just walk in them one step at a time.

I pray that today, as you read this post, Holy SPirit will work in you and open your eyes to see the path that God has prepared for you. Don't use your head, your experience or whateve limited knowledge you have...you need to walk by faith. Be prepared to walk on unfamiliar teritory and I believe, you will walk from glory to glory, victory to victory. Amen.

Burned but not burnout (spiritually!)

2010-04-06T15:46:00.007+08:00

Have you ever experience burned by the Holy Spirit? Me too! Do you still remember the time when you're on fire, all your energy, time, money..your whole life is dedicated for the work of God. Day and night, everything is about serving Him and His people. I've experience it. It's such a great feeling. Now, have you ever experienced burnout? NO? Impossible! You can't experience burnout if you haven't been burned by the Holy Fire.

Here's some defination of Burnout : "Burnout is a real term used in psychology to express a syndrome in which a person who works (minister), often in a high demand job (busy ministering), suddenly becomes disillusioned (lost), exhausted and disinterested (lost passion) in work. Work performance suffers (not ministering effectively anymore), the individual with burnout may seem withdrawn (give up and isolated oneself), and some people, feeling that there’s no recovery from the condition (permanently withdraw from ministry), leave careers (ministry) at which they’ve been very successful, or behave in ways that cause them to get fired (being disciplined or kicked out from the ministry). "

There're few people in the bible who experience both burned and burnout. Some of them are Moses, Jeremiah, and even Elijah. Check them out in the old testament. This is a huge topic to cover but here's my point, all of us has experience burnout or maybe some of you are experiencing it now. It is a humbling experience, it's a season where God wants to shape you, mold you and renew your strength. Based on my experience, here's some points that can lead to burnouts:

1) Overconfident
-I'm over confident with what God has done in my ministry. I forgot that it is not by me, it's God's work through me. Really! I boast, pride starts to sneak in your heart and cover your eyes. I'm doing ministry based on my knowledge and past experience with God and not by fresh revelation from Him. When there's no fresh fire and wind, when there's no fresh manna, there's no revelation.

2) Being Superman

-Being Superman is the foolish thing a christian minister can do. I've done it before. Becoming one man show. I run the show, I know everything, I handle everything and everybody just need to listen to me because I'm the superman! Well, we know that superman is a joke! What kind of superheroes wear his undies outside his pants? Even Jesus didn't do that! Guys, don't try to be Superman, doing everything on your own and assuming that God only speak to you and everything from you is right. You need the right commmunity to support you and to nourish you. When you feel tired and hopeless get someone to pray for you and give you inputs. But don't wait until you're tired. Even when you're on fire, you need people to keep you fired up...Elijah try to be superman, Moses did...but in the end he give up and as his uncle, Aaron help him doing God's work.

3) Unconfessed sin

-Be open, share to your guys about your struggles with sin. Let them pray for you. Find your mentor and ask him/her pray for you and check on you. Most of all, confessed your sin before God, He listens. When you pretend to be sinless, when you pretend not to notice how dirty your hands has become, you're actually beginning to die spiritually.

4) Connected 24/7

-Nothing can keep us on fire 24/7 other than a consistent relationship with God. we must receive fresh manna everyday. Get new ideas everyday. Read His word and obey them tho it seems ridiculous! (I'm serious!). God can only work through His servant. Let us be His servant, we learn to listen to Him, talk to Him and love Him more every day.

I like to talk more on this topic, maybe some other time :) Have a great day guys. Stay on fire!

Acceptance and Approval

2010-04-05T12:34:00.003+08:00

We all know that Christ accept us as His child. That’s why He send His only Child, Jesus to earth. To redeem us. I, and I believe most of us been a situation whereby we need to distinguish the difference between God’s acceptance and God’s approval. We often mix both of them in our daily life. Here’s some straightforward example. Jesus Himself love sinners, but He hate sin. He accept sinners but disapprove what the sinners did (which is sin) (Luke 19:10).

Another example; I always know that my dad, my biological father, will always accept me as his son. Even though I let him down few times, he still accept me as his son. No doubt about it. But, despite the acceptance, I know clear there’s few things he didn’t approve of me. Being lazy, he didn’t approve it, committing crime, he didn’t approve that too (of course lah). But he approve it when I’m doing things that he instruct me to do, he approve it when I’m doing things that pleases God.

NEVER mix acceptance and approval. NEVER take for granted our acceptance in Christ and blindly take it as approval to commit sin. In church ministry, we can always twist acceptance and approval. Yeah, it’s a crime that we commit (either we realize it or not). Example, we know that God accept the sacrifice and offering of His people...so we give our tithes, our offering and serve Him. But God never approve us to come to Him with our offerings without reconciling with others. Read Mat 5:23-24 “ Therefore if you offer your gift on the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift."

So guys, you got my point right? Know what is accepted and know what is approved. Have a blessed and fruitful day.

Fear of Losing Your Creativity?

2010-04-02T08:32:00.004+08:00

Ideas...we love ideas aren’t we? How about creativity? We love creativity so much that we afraid if we lose it. All kind of profession or jobs in this world needs creativity, even in church ministry. I’ve been involved in music & media ministry for many years and I thank God that the ideas still flowing and even grow until this day.

Have you ever encounter a situation where you can’t think of any ideas? Or maybe you didn’t realise that all this while you have been a selfish artist. Yeah, you afraid of people copying you or stealing your ideas and that make you reluctant to share with others. I’ve experienced it before until recently. God open my eyes and my understanding.

It all began in Genesis. God is The Creator. That’s what He does until He rest on the 7th day (Genesis 2:1-3). Every single thing in this world is created by God. Our God is creative, He make the impossible become possible, the “nothing” become “something”. Just read the story when Jesus do His miracles, He turn plain water into wine, feed 5000 men with 5 loaves and 2 fish and the list goes on. John 1:3 says “through Him, all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made” . This is clear enough that everything...I mean EVERYTHING. Does EVERYTHING include music? Creative ideas and resources? I hope you will understand how creative our God is. He is limitless, there’s no end to His creativeness and ideas. I urge you not to underestimate God, please don’t think God is an old-fashion God. He’s way up-to-date than us. He knows what kind of trend will happen in the future..long we before we predict it.

When you have creative ideas or when you have talents, just use them, give them to others, don’t keep them but develop and let them grow. As you give, He will fill you up (Luke 6:38). New things will be added to you. If you afraid of losing your ideas or creativity, that shows you either have lack of faith or have no idea how creative our God is...or you simply being satisfied with the ideas/creativity you get last year or few years ago.

Same goes with youth ministry or any ministry in church. Keep on raising the standards of creativity in your church, don’t worry, as you faithfully use your talents and deliver your God-given ideas, I believe more ideas will come. If you think otherwise, you’re basically depending on your own experience and your own head.

Here’s some tips I want to share on how to stay creative:
1) Practice your imagination
-practice to imagine things in your head before doing it. Visualize how you want your event to be like, visualize how you want your design to look like or music to sound like. I use the word ‘practice’ because that’s how you develop your imagination.

2) Open your eyes
-Walk around shopping malls to see what are the trend and how people display their products. Look for billboard and advertisement as you walk around. Even it is just a piece of flyers. Write notes whenever you got an idea. I used to write my ideas at the back of my shopping receipt.

3) Get inputs from the mass media
-Watch the right TV channel (apart from astro, 8tv is my favourite!)
-go to bookstore and browse through some magazines (they have lots of good magazines with good graphics and content out there).
-Search for blogs and website, there’s thousands and millions of samples out there.

4) Mix with creative atmosphere
-Well, I know it’s a bit difficult if you’re the only people who understand and can see all those crazy ideas...well, what I usually do is, mix with different kind of creative people. I have friends who’re actors and dancers; they’re creative in their own way. Mixing with them does help me see from different perspective.

5) Clicked to GOD
-This is the most important thing of all. We can have all resources in this world but without God, our ideas are no different from the world.
-As we get connected with Him, He’ll reveal His heart and His creativity. When God pour His ideas into you, it is something beyond comprehension!

So friends, continue to invest your ideas, continue to give your ideas, continue to execute your ideas because God will add more to you and you will get more fresh ideas. May God be glorified by His creativity that overflow in us.

NEW BUT OLD (part 2)

2010-03-24T09:05:00.002+08:00

I’m a person who enjoy food very much. I’m blessed to have a wife who enjoy eating like myself. Namun demikian, kegemaran ini boleh saja memudaratkan saya. ..yes. Terlalu banyak makan akan menjejaskan kesihatan dan boleh membawa kepada sakit penyakit dan kematian. Terlalu banyak makanan masuk, khususnya makanan yang tidak sesuai, pasti membawa akibat yang negative. Saya menggunakan analogy ini sebagai gambaran bagaimana kita sendiri boleh saja menjadi “pelahap” kepada perubahan.

Kakak ipar saya adalah seorang nutritionist (seorang yang pakar dalam hal nutrisi pemakanan). Dia banyak melawat klinik-klinik kecil di negeri Sarawak untuk memberi pendidikan kepada penduduk kampung mengenai cara pemakanan yang sihat khususnya untuk kanak-kanak yang sedang membesar. Setiap makanan yang dibeli ada kandungan nutrisi yang tersendiri dan itu harus diperhatikan sebelum memakannya. Vitamin C, A, B, E dan supplement lain harus di ambil dalam jumlah yang betul.

Sama seperti waktu kita memakan ubat/makanan, kita harus meneliti kandungan nutrisi yang terdapat di dalamnya bagi mengelakkan “food poisoning” atau “over dose”. Saya melihat hal yang sama dalam setiap perubahan yang ingin kita “makan” (consume). Tidak setiap perubahan itu harus terjadi pada waktu itu, ada yang perlu melalui suatu tempoh waktu, ada yang belum waktunya dan ada yang tidak perlu. Ada beberapa hal yang boleh menjadi pertimbangan kita dalam kita mengalami perubahan. Jika kita mengambil sesuatu perubahan dengan terburu-buru, kita boleh saja “overdose”, perubahan yang pada awalnya bertujuan baik itu akhirnya menjadi buruk dan sia-sia.

Here’s another anology. Sewaktu saya pergi ke korea selatan pada tahun lalu, saya telah mencuba beberapa makanan tradisional korea. Banyak macam jenis makanan, ada yang sesuai dan ada yang memang susah mau masuk. Namun, saya yakin, saya pasti boleh menyesuaikan diri saya dengan makanan-makanan tersebut sekiranya saya tinggal lebih lama di sana. Tubuh badan dan deria rasa saya memerlukan masa untuk membiasakan diri dengan rasa, tekstur dan bau makanan yang ada disana. Begitu halnya dengan perubahan yang baru, tubuh, fikiran dan hati kita harus dipersiapkan terlebih dahulu, jika tidak, kita boleh saja “memuntahkan” idea-idea perubahan yang datang sekiranya kita bertindak tanpa menyelidiki perubahan yang mau diambil dan kesan aplikasinya kepada diri kita.

I have seen so many good ideas and good teaching (in church) been brought in and there’s no doubt that these things bring positive changes to the person/church/organization. However, if it’s not at the right timing, the right dosage and the right method, all this will be wasted. Saya ingin membagikan beberapa hal yang mungkin boleh kita ambil dalam kita mengalami suatu perubahan baru

1 // selidiki dengan kebenaran firman Tuhan setiap perubahan yang ingin kita lakukan. (1 Yohanes 4:1, 1 Korintus 2:15).

2 // The right timing. Segala sesuatu berasal dari Allah, termasuk pembaharuan. Namun segala sesuatu ada waktunya (Pengkhotbah 8:6).

3 // Is it useful?. Ketahui apa yang berguna bagi diri anda / gereja anda / organisasi anda (1 Korintus 10:23). Kita mungkin sibuk membawa masuk perubahan demi perubahan tanpa menyedari apakah ianya membangun diri kita. Segala macam jenis buku kita baca dan segala macam fakta kita masukkan dalam fikiran kita dan langsung mengaplikasikannya tanpa menyelediki apakah ianya berguna atau tidak. Apa yang berkesan bagi diri orang lain tidak semestinya berkesan bagi diri kita.

Ada perubahan yang memang Tuhan wujudkan khusus untuk orang lain dan khusus untuk orang tersebut sahaja. Jangan kita mengotakkan (meletakkan di dalam kotak alias menghadkan) pekerjaan Tuhan. Dia punya cara yang berbeza bagi situasi, tempat, peribadi dan waktu yang berbeza.

4 // devine intervention. Segala sesuatu perubahan yang ingin kekal lama harus ada campur tangan dari Tuhan. Setiap perubahan yang berdasarkan hikmat kebijaksanaan dan pengalaman manusia pasti tidak akan kekal lama.

I hope and pray that God will speak to you from these postings of mine. I would like to hear your comments If you’re given new insight and new revelation after reading this. Have a blessed day.

NEW BUT OLD (part 1)

2010-03-11T09:33:00.003+08:00

Roma 12:2 memang setiap kita sudah maklum “Janganlah kamu menjadi serupa dengan dunia ini, tetapi berubahlah oleh pembaharuan budimu, sehingga kamu dapat membedakan (membezakan) manakah kehendak Allah: apa yang baik, yang berkenan kepada Allah dan yang sempurna.”

This is one famous verse dan ayat ini banyak sekali digunakan setiap kali kata TRANSFORMASI atau PERUBAHAN itu dilaungkan. Demi menyahut seruan PERUBAHAN ini, maka gereja-gereja Tuhan termasuk peribadi-peribadi sendiri, mula lah melakukan perubahan. Terjadi pertobatan dan transformasi...ada yang mendadak, ada yang mengambil masa yang cukup lama untuk “berganti kulit” bahkan ada yang give up dan berbalik kepada kondisi yang asal.Saya sendiri tergolong dalam kumpulan orang yang sukakan PERUBAHAN dan selalu melaungkan kata PERUBAHAN / TRANSFORMASI.

Penampilan peribadi pun berubah, bahkan penampilan gereja pun berubah, lebih bersifat kontemporari dan ibadah langsung berubah, komsel berubah, cara pelayanan berubah, cara bekerja berubah, cara belajar berubah...semuanya mengalami perubahan (meskipun ada yang selesa dengan tradisi lama). Namun, there’s a little problem, these changes didn’t SUSTAIN. Perubahan ini tidak kekal lama. Banyak program, event-event diadakan bagi tujuan mempromosikan perubahan yang ingin diwujudkan, namun perubahan yang terjadi tidak kekal lama. Saya mula menyelidiki dan merefleksi diri saya sendiri. Apakah perubahan dalam diri saya bersifat sementara, jika tidak, apakah saya konsisten menghasilkan buah-buah pertobatan sesuai dengan perubahan yang saya alami? Apakah gereja saya dan youth gereja saya konsisten dengan perubahan yang terjadi?

Kita cenderung melihat perubahan itu berlaku dari luar, padahal perubahan itu harus dari dalam. Cenderung ditekankan perubahan fizik secara luaran agar kelihatan meyakinkan...agar orang lain lihat bahwa kita itu sedang berubah dan up-to-date. Ya, kita boleh saja menghadiri seberapa banyak kelas pemuridan, seminar-seminar dan membaca buku-buku...namun perubahan itu berlaku SETIAP HARI, SETIAP SAAT dan ianya sesuatu yang FRESH! dan bermula dari dalam! Kita boleh saja memiliki gedung gereja yang sesuai dengan tahun konsep 2010 namun pemikiran kita, cara pelayanan kita, mentality kita masih lama! Lebih parah lagi kalau mentality kita masih di takuk lama (canggihnya bahasa), in other words, we might appear as an up-to-date person/church/organization, but inside us, in our head, it is still ideas/the mind of the old one. We can appear NEW outside but OLD inside.

Saya selalu diperingatkan Tuhan untuk mendapat rhema baru (fresh revelation) daripadaNya setiap hari. Bahkan dalam setiap kesempatan pelayanan, saya minta sesuatu yang baru dari Tuhan meskipun apa yang saya akan ajarkan/khotbahkan adalah hal yang sudah saya kuasai . Mengapa kadangkala kita conflict dengan setiap perubahan yang terjadi disekitar kita, khususnya perubahan yang masuk ke gereja kita? Konflik timbul kerana fikiran kita tidak dibaharui terus menerus sehingga kita tidak dapat membezakan “..manakah kehendak Allah: apa yang baik, yang berkenan kepada Allah dan yang sempurna.” Semua macam jenis perubahan, jenis pengajaran pun kita masukkan ke dalam fikiran kita tanpa kita analisa dan selidiki apakah ini waktu yang sesuai dan apakah diri kita siap untuk menerima dan hidup sesuai dengan perubahan yang wujud. Perubahan bukanlah sesuatu yang hanya diperkatakan dan dilaung-laungkan, sebaliknya dihidupi sehingga menjadi gaya hidup.

Saya sangat percaya, setiap perubahan yang mahu dicapai harus ada persiapan. Persiapan secara rohani ( Roh kita, fikiran & hati kita) mahupun persiapan secara fizik (hal-hal teknikal). Persiapan ini harus dipersiapkan terlebih dahulu sebelum men”download” input yang baru. Namun, banyak terjadi dimana anak-anak Tuhan (termasuk saya dulu), terus menerus mendownload input-input yang ada tanpa persiapan. Akhirnya, perubahan itu tidak dapat ditangkap sepenuhnya dan hanya luaran / casing / packaging nya ja yang ditangkap, tapi intinya belum ditangkap sepenuhnya. Kononnya sudah berubah, kita pun mempamerkan packaging baru kita padahal, dalam diri kita masih yang lama. Akhirnya, perubahan itu tidak kekal lama kerana kita mulai jenuh (boring), mulai tidak konsisten menjaga “casing” luaran kita...mulailah berkompromi dengan standard-standard dan nilai-nilai yang disepakati bersama sewaktu perubahan tersebut mula terjadi. Sebab apa? Sebab pemikiran kita belum menganalisa sepenuhnya perubahan yang terjadi, sebab kita sendiri belum mengerti, belum menangkap esensi sebenar bagi perubahan tersebut.

Seperti dalam Matius 9:17 “ Begitu juga tidak ada orang yang menuang anggur baru ke dalam kantong kulit yang tua. Sebab kantong itu akan pecah dan rusak, lalu anggurnya terbuang. Anggur baru harus dituang ke dalam kantong yang baru juga, supaya kedua-duanya tetap baik.”

I will continue with second part of this topic later. Sebagai kesimpulan, sesuatu perubahan itu harus berlaku dari dalam diri kita sebelum ianya dimanifestasikan diluar diri kita. It is something not easy but God will give us the strength to sustain throughout the whole process. I’m being process by Him, I believe same goes to you. Stay blessed.

JESUS on board

2010-03-03T09:29:00.004+08:00

This is a post dedicated to all of you who think that ministry is only happening in church and who giving so many excuse for not involving in God's work. Yep, this is a lesson i learnt while I'm in limbang a couple days ago.

Well, saya percaya most of us pernah mendengar dan membaca Lukas 5:1-11. Mengenai Yesus menaiki perahunya Simon Petrus. Here's some point i want to share:

1) Yesus melayani kita secara one-to-one (Personal ministry, personal touch)

Yesus melayani orang banyak namun Dia turut melayani peribadi secara personal sesuai dengan market place peribadi itu sendiri. Yesus mengajak Simon Petrus untuk pergi ke tempat yang dalam dan membawa Simon menangkan ikan. Simon adalah seorang nelayan, danau galilea dan industri perikanan adalah marketplacenya Simon. Perhatikan, pada waktu itu, Simon belum dipanggil menjadi murid Yesus. Seringkali kita berfikir bahawa Yesus hanya akan melakukan pekerjaan-Nya di acara-acara kerohanian, di acara-acara gereja. But we know that's not the whole fact. Jesus is with you now, yes! wherever you are, whatever you do, He is with you now dan Dia mau bersama-sama dengan kita ditempat kerja/kuliah kita.

2) Yesus memanggil kita sesuai dengan keadaan kita pada waktu itu

We often think that we can only hear God's calling when we pray in church and during altar-call, when our pastor lay hand on us. Yesus memanggil Simon Petrus untuk menjadi penjala manusia sewaktu Dia sedang bersama Simon menjala ikan...bukan sewaktu altar KKR or bukan sewaktu ada pengkhotbah dari luar datang or bukan sewaktu ada ribut petir dan conference besar. CUkup sederhana namun memberi impak kepada kehidupan Simon. Did you hear Jesus's call at your marketplace?

3) Yesus sangat RELEVANT

Sewaktu Yesus memanggil Simon untuk mengikutinya, Dia tidak memberi istilah/gelaran yang bombastik kepada Simon...Dia tidak berkata : "SImon, mulai hari ini, engkau ku pilih menjadi pendeta, engkau ku pilih menjadi pemimpin bagi jemaat yang pertama"...NO. Sebaliknya, Yesus cukup RELEVANT, Dia memanggil Simon menjadi PENJALA MANUSIA, satu terms/istilah yang difahami dan "nyambung" dengan Simon. Hey guys, Jesus is calling you to be His engineer, accountant, musicians, dancers, students etc.

4) Yesus mau mengubah cara fikir kita

Perhatikan, mentang-mentang SImon seorang nelayan dan Yesus seorang tukang kayu, dia sempat berbalas cakap dengan Yesus sewaktu Yesus menyuruhnya menebarkan jala. Ayat 4 "...bertolaklah ke tempat yang dalam dan tebarkanlah jalamu untuk menangkap ikan.: "Guru, telah sepanjang malam kami bekerja keras dan kami tidak menangkap apa-apa, tetapi kerana Engkau menyuruhnya, aku akan menebarkan jala juga"

Berapa banyak kita yang respon akan panggilan Tuhan seperti Simon? bila Yesus ingin kita melayani seseorang di marketplace kita, kita bagi alasan yang kedengarannya munasabah. Sampai kita menutup hati kita dengan pemikiran-pemikiran lama dan pengalaman-pengalaman kita. Akibatnya, kita buta hati. Hati kita berfungsi hanya di gereja. Hari ini, mari dengarkan, mari bukakan fikiranmu, mari ubah cara pandang mu akan marketplacemu. Jesus want you to do something.

5) The impossible menjadi the POSSIBLE!

Bila kita taat dengan Tuhan dan melakukan apa yang diperintahkannya bagi marketplace kita, mukjizat terjadi! Simon sendiri tidak percaya dengan jumlah ikan yang ditangkap. Sampai dia harus memanggil teman-teman yang lain untuk membantunya. Hey guys, i know there's so many impossible things happening at your marketplace. It might be your boss, your lecturer, your collegues or your classmates or your friends....but remember this, when we listen to God's calling, the impossible will become the POSSIBLE. Belajar untuk taat. Understanding comes after obedience.

So, if Jesus wants to be on board...will you allow Him?

99 : 1

2010-03-03T08:56:00.003+08:00

Saya baru saja balik dari pelayanan bersama Ps. Simon di SIB Bandar Limbang. Wow! pekerjaan Tuhan di sana sangat rruuuuaaarrrrr biiaaaasssshhhhhaaaaaa! I really encourage any of you readers to find time to go to visit their church. Not because it's a modern church (memang bangunan mereka baru & besar) but it's because of the testimony of the pastor & the people of SIB bandar Limbang. Saya sangat terinspirasi oleh mereka.

ANyway, i'm not gonna talk about my trip to Limbang, tapi something related to it. One thing yang Tuhan bukakan pada saya sejak akhir-akhir ini adalah mengenai 99 : 1 (baca: sembilan puluh sembilan nisbah satu) Sangat mengubah persepsi saya mengenai setiap event-event, acara-acara bahkan program-program kerohanian yang pernah saya anjurkan dan hadiri.

Let me start by asking you (and myself) a question. Ada hal yang terjadi di dunia yang boleh membawa sukacita besar di syurga. Apakah hal tersebut? KKR? Youth Conference/convention? Konsert rohani besar yang dihadiri ribuan? Gedung gereja yang dapat dibangun? Kelas-kelas Pemuridan? Penghasilan album rohani? I still remember when I'm still active playing music in church, organizing events & concerts. Waktu itu saya betul-betul enjoy dan merasa sukacita melihat ramai yang datang, apalagi melihat komitmen & kesungguhan dari team saya yang sama-sama mau melayani jiwa-jiwa. Apalagi setelah mendapat komen yang positif (komen negatif ada juga) dari para pemimpin dan teman-teman lain. So, i was glad and i believe I've done my best (for that event) dan saya percaya Tuhan disenangkan melalui pelayanan saya dan teman-teman. Namun saya dibukakan saat membaca LUkas 15: 4-7.

Ya! cerita mengenai domba yang hilang. All of us have heard it before, itu kan cerita sewaktu kita di sekolah minggu. Nah, cerita yang sederhana inilah yang membukakan mata saya dan sekaligus mengubah persepsi saya mengenai segala sesuatu seputar pelayanan gereja & acara-acara kerohanian yang kita adakan selama ini.

Apa yang membawa sukacita besar di syurga? perhatikan ayat 7 "Aku berkata pada mu: demikian juga akan ada sukacita di sorga kerana satu orang berdosa yang bertobat, lebih daripada sukacita kerana sembilan puluh sembilan orang benar yang tidak memerlukan pertobatan"

Got the idea of 99:1? 1 jiwa yang bertobat lebih membawa kesukaan yang besar bagi Bapa kita yang di syurga. Apa pun aktiviti, apapun event, apapun acara yang kita anjurkan/adakan di gereja, biarlah ini menjadi target kita. Bukannya berapa kuantiti yang datang, ramai atau sedikit, yang menjadi target kita adalah sekurang-kurangnya, 1 jiwa bertobat. Bertobat bukan sekadar mengaku dosa, namun mula mengizinkan Tuhan mengubah seluruh hidup (inside-out).

SO guys, hope you are blessed and inspired by this post. Feel free to comment. Stay connected, stay inspired. Be blessed :)

When certain things become irRELEVANT

2010-02-22T08:49:00.004+08:00

"All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own, but each one the other's well-being" 1 Cor 10:23-24

"Segala sesuatu diperbolehkan." Benar, tetapi bukan segala sesuatu berguna. "segala sesuatu diperbolehkan." Benar, tetapi bukan segala sesuatu membangun. Jangan seorangpun yang mencari keuntungunnya sendiri tetapi hendaklah tiap-tiap orang mencari keuntungan orang lain. 1 Kor 10:23-24

Growing up in a Christian family, I have seen and involved with numerous christian activities from sunday service to family cell group to christian wedding. Banyak sekali idea-idea baru yang muncul dan tidak kurang juga idea-idea yang masih dikekalkan sehingga ke hari ini.

Dalam millennium baru ini, banyak trend baru yang muncul dalam gereja dan saya yakin, lebih banyak trend yang akan muncul. Perhatikan saja bagaimana lagu digereja dipancarkan ke screen. Dulu OHP (OverHeadProjector), sekarang pakai LCD Projector..software powerpoint, sekarang sudah evolve pegi EasyWorship/EasySlide...semakin evolving. Pakaian ke gereja pun ada berubah. Sekarang ramai gereja yang berubah ke Smart Casual dresscode. Ada pula yang upgrade ke formal attire seperti Coat & Necktie. Lagu-lagu, muzik dan penyampaian khotbah di gereja juga mengalami "makeover" nya tersendiri. Senikata dan music arrangement lebih kontemporari. Perkataaan "aku...Kau.." lebih banyak digunakan berbanding "Yesus..Kristus...penuaian jiwa...pengurapan...dll". Muzik yang dulunya berorientasikan pada piano sekarang beralih kepada guitar oriented dimana arrangementnya lebih heavy termasuk waktu free worship. Khotbah dulu berbunyi seperti : "Bagaimana mengasihi sesamamu"...sekarang topik yang sama namun tajuk telah di"kontemporari"kan kepada "Where's is the love?". Dulu, asal ada lampu menerangi stage sudah memadai, trend sekarang pula lebih banyak fokus pada spotlight yang berwarna warni, bahkan ada gereja yang mempunyai smokemachine. Fuh! what a transformation!

Sesungguhnya kita semua tidak mau ketinggalan dalam perubahan yang ada, baik...memang baik kerana perubahan-perubahan inilah yang membuat orang tertarik datang ke gereja, bahkan perubahanlah yang membuatkan kita lebih bersemangat untuk melayani TUhan. Namun demikian we need to be alert, tidak semua perubahan itu berguna alias RELEVANT. Bagi saya, kenali terlebih dahulu gereja anda/diri anda sebelum membuat sebarang perubahan. Apakah perubahan/upgrading itu perlu? Some example, seorang youth leader (dulu namanya ketua pelayanan pemuda pemudi :), ok...seorang youth leader berumur 40 tahun, oleh kerana melayani dikalangan anak-anak muda, maka diapun dye rambutnya, pakai jeans koyak-koyak, buat macam gaya anak muda, lepak-lepak sampai tgh malam...semata-mata mau kelihatan muda. Kalau itu bukan penampilan sebenarnya, i think he'll look silly! That's not relevant. Bagaimana pula gereja yang rata-rata jemaatnya terdiri daripada keluarga, worship team pula sibuk mengupgrade sound system, invest untuk alat muzik yang tercanggih bahkan muzik-muzik rock yang fast tempo dibawa masuk ke ibadah hari minggu. I don't think that idea connect with the families...UNLESS, gereja tersebut memang mau menarik golongan muda untuk datang ke gereja. If their target is family, then i think spending too much on such upgrading is not necessary.

So my point is, we might be amazed by big growing modern churches that has all the up-to-date features. What works for their church not necessary works for ours. Biarlah apa yang dalam fikiran kita ada sesuatu perubahan yang membawa kebaikkan pada semua. So youth leaders or whoever reading this article, before making any transformation in your church/ministry/your life, think 1 Corinthians 10:23-24.

have a great day. Stay Relevant.

reThinking "KKR", christian concerts (konsert penginjilan)

2010-02-11T10:34:00.003+08:00

KKR (Kebaktian Kebangunan ROhani), Concerts & Conferences

Hari berlangsung :
1-3 hari (standard days)

Jumlah orang yang terlibat :
>15 orang, including musicians & organizing committee (bergantung dengan berapa besar kebaktian)

Jumlah jam yang digunakan untuk meeting :
>5 jam (bergantung dengan pengerusi mesyuarat & berapa relevantnya agenda mesyuarat)

Jumlah jam yang digunakan untuk persiapan P&W:
>5 jam, bergantung dengan skill anggota team dan jumlah lagu yang dibawa

Jumlah kos untuk menjayakannya:
>RM100, bergantung dengan budget yang diluluskan oleh MG (Majlis Gereja) dan sponsor

So, the above is the common items in our list. Now here's something i need you to fill;

Jumlah doa puasa untuk melihat pekerjaan Tuhan dalam acara tersebut:
> ? jam

Jumlah orang yang terima TUhan sepanjang acara:
> ? orang

Jumlah anggota team & anggota jemaat yang benar-benar tahu mengapa acara diadakan?
> ? orang

Jumlah orang yang datang untuk didoakan dan difollow up
> ? orang

Jumlah orang yang bertobat dan hidupnya berubah setelah acara diadakan
> ? orang

Jumlah jam digunakan untuk membina hubungan sesama team (tidak termasuk perjumpaan untuk membincangkan persiapan acara/pelayanan):
> ? jam

Jumlah jam digunakan untuk melawat jiwa-jiwa baru yang terima Tuhan dalam acara tersebut:
> ? jam

Jumlah anggota team yang masih bertahan dalam pelayanan setelah beberapa bulan acara berlangsung:
> ?orang

I want to make myself clear, I have no problem, I'm not against any KKR, christian concerts / conference, but I have problem with what happen after the event. How successful the event is determine by how the people's life and spirit being changed and renewed after the event. I hope this simple questions will at least makes you reThink about all the events we're doing in our church. Hmm...i'm out of words now. Feel free to comment.

Proud Representative

2009-12-02T09:04:00.005+08:00

I was captured by yesterday's newspaper headline. Ada seorang politician tempatan yang menyiarkan campaign videonya di youtube dan dikecam hebat oleh TV station di Taiwan kerana politician tersebut meniru video campaign presiden negara mereka. It's not 10% copy....but it's almost 100%! Just change few words. Sesuatu yang memalukan apalagi bagi seorang yang berpengaruh. Oleh kerana tindakannya, parti politiknya mendapat kritikan hebat dari penonton youtube dan pemberita di Taiwan. Saya sendiri berfikir, apakah ahli politik tersebut tidak pernah terfikir bahawa tindakannya akan membawa kesan kepada partinya? bahkan kepada negaranya?

Setiap kita mewakili sesuatu organisasi, sama ada keluarga, gereja, office, College, kampung, rumah panjang dan sebagainya. Apa yang kita lakukan, apa yang kita perkatakan, apa yang kita fikirkan, cara hidup kita, menunjukkan siapa kita dan dari mana kita. Sometimes we forgot who we represent. Ini berbicara mengenai kesaksian kita sehari-hari. Bila kita berada di lingkungan kita (keluarga, office, gereja dll), adakah kesaksian kita memberikan impresi (impression) yang baik? atau gara-gara kita, organisasi (keluarga, office, gereja dll) yang kita wakili menerima kritikan dan komen-komen yang negatif bahkan kita menjadi batu sandungan pada orang lain?

Saya beberapa kali mendengar kalimat ini dari beberapa orang pengkhotbah; "berapa banyak jemaat yang pindah gereja gara-gara kamu?". Wow! saya tersentak saat pertama kali mendengar pertanyaan tersebut dan saya masih ingat sampai ke hari ini. Saya selalu bertanya kepada diri saya apakah kesaksian hidup saya membuat orang lain makin mendekat dan tertarik kepada Yesus atau mereka tidak berminat atau makin menjauh dari Yesus? How about you? Are you a proud representative of God's kingdom? Have you become a good representative of His kingdom? Tuhan memberikan Roh Kudus kepada kita agar kita dimampukan untuk bersaksi; untuk menyampaikan kabar baik dan kabar keselamatan Yesus (Matius 28 : 19 – 20) As I always say to the young people of RYC, "You live once, make use of your life to the max". Be a proud of representative of Christ's kingdom.

Feel free to leave you comments or inputs. Have a blessed day

Walking on the water

2009-11-21T08:56:00.002+08:00

I was preparing my slides for my preaching this evening at RYC service. Then all of sudden came to my mind the image of Peter walking on the water towards Jesus. (John 6:16-21). This is one of the famous story in the bible. Apparently, not many christians relate this stroy to their life...either they forgot about the story or doesn't see the importance of it. For me, being a musician in this entertainment industry is like walking on the water. Jesus is on it (He rule over the entertainment industry...amen!), and i ask God if i can walk on it...and now, i'm walking on it but i admit, at times i would be anxious about what is happening around me and whether i'll make the next step and reach Jesus. Have u experience the same in your life?

I believe, if Jesus enables me to make the first step on the "water" (i.e. entertainment industry), He will lead me 'til i reach Him..even there's a big storm besides me..or a big creature waiting underneath me...i knew that as long as i have faith and the courage to walk towards Him, I will reach Him...I will end journey.

So friends, whatever it is u'r facing now...make sure...u must be really sure it is Jesus who call u to walk on the water..do you hear Jesus?

Guard your walls

2009-11-18T19:09:00.004+08:00

"Orang yang tak dapat mengendalikan diri adalah seperti kota yang roboh temboknya" Amsal 25:28

"Whoever has no rule over his own spirit Is like a city broken down, without walls. " Proverbs 25:28 (NKJV)

Ayat di atas menjadi renungan sejak minggu yang lalu dan sampai ke hari ini Tuhan benar-benar memproses saya di area PENGUASAAN DIRI. Infact, this saturday I'm gonna preach on this topic to all my young brothers & sisters in RYC. Just want to share with them what I've experience fomr this ongoing process.

So, bercakap mengenai PENGUASAAN DIRI, seperti sebuah kota yang roboh temboknya, begitulah orang yang tidak dapat mengendalikan dirinya (his own spirit - NKJV). Tidak kiralah berapa banyak karunia yang ada pada saya, tidak kiralah berapa banyak jiwa yang saya bangunkan selama ini, tidak kira berapa lama saya sudah melayani Tuhan, jika saya tidak menguasai diri saya, segala apa yang saya kerjakan selama ini akan terdedah kepada serangan si iblis. Dan yang parahnya adalah, gara-gara tiada penguasaan diri, saya sendiri mensabotaj apa yang saya kerjakan selama ini. Just imagine a city without walls. Bayangkan jika sebuah kerajaan tidak mempunyai tembok pelindung yang mengelilinginya. Segala kekayaan, segala apa kemajuan yang ada di dalam kerajaan itu akan mudah dicuri atau diserang oleh musuh.

I don't know about you guys, for me, ada 4 area yang perlu saya kuasai dalam diri saya. FIKIRAN, EMOSI, PERKATAAN & PERBUATAN.

I'll share more in details on each of those 4 areas in my next post (when I'm not busy). But for now, let me leave you with this thought :

Your walls that surround you is as strong and as thick as your ability to control yourself in any situation.

Trust your heart?

2009-11-18T01:54:00.004+08:00

I used to hear and also used to say this : "trust your heart...". When troubles comes..when we don't know what to do, when you having problems with your bf/gf or family or whoever..."trust your heart...follow what your heart says"...these are common....too common in our society even in church..and i say that there is something wrong here and i hope you will change the way you think after reading this.

Why? read : The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. -Jeremiah 17:9-10

check that out! our heart is the most deceitful...the MOST. So, for me...trust the Lord, trust His word (BIBLE) is the first thing we all should do in life.. When troubles come (any kind of troubles / problems...relationship, financial, studies, ministry etc)...talk to God & look what the bible says about the issue u're dealing with...later, consult to the right person. Imagine what we get after not filling our heart with His words and then we choose to decide things based on what our heart says! what kind of solution would that be?

So, trust your heart or trust your God?

Dikenal kerana karunia atau buah roh?

2009-11-09T18:28:00.003+08:00

Well, it has been a while since I update my blog. Been busy with work, studies, ministry and wedding preparation. However, I thank God for His strength, His grace in my life never fade. Few days ago I was invited by Alex & the new RYC leadership team. Just to share on few things. I share to them what I learn from God in this past few weeks.

Saya mengaku bahawa saya diproses oleh Tuhan untuk terus menerus menghasilkan buah-buah roh dari kehidupan saya. Kalau bicara soal karunia…saya puji TUhan kerana pada hari ni Tuhan memperlengkapi saya dengan berbagai-bagai karunia. Sampai hari ini masih ada karunia yang masih dipertajamkan, masih ada juga yang belum ditemukan namun demikian kita semua tau apa itu karunia roh. Karunia bernubuat, menasihati, memberi, memimpin, berbahasa roh, karunia melayani dan bermacam-macam lagi.

Saya selalu “mendampingkan” karunia dengan karisma (charisma). Now, here’s the tricky part. Banyak terjadi di dalam kehidupan anak-anak Tuhan di mana karunia lebih banyak dikerjakan, karunia lebih banyak menjadi fokus dan karunia juga lebih banyak diagung-agungkan dalam diri seseorang. Berbanding dengan buah roh: “kasih, sukacita, damai sejahtera, kesabaran, kemurahan, kebaikan, kesetiaan, kelemahlembutan, penguasaan diri…” Galatia 5:22-23, orang banyak sekali memperkatakan mengenai karunia seseorang. Bila dalam menilai seseorang, selalunya karunia (karisma) dan penampilan seseorang itu yang menjadi taruhan. Namun kurang diperhatikan buah-buah roh yang dihasilkan oleh orang tersebut.

Mengapa saya ingin mengongsikan hal ini? Firstly, I’m no longer in my church’s board of leadership structure. I’m no longer heading RYC, just mentoring them. So, since saya juga sibuk dengan pekerjaan, study & persiapan perkahwinan, saya jarang melayani di gereja..maksudnya, pelayanan mimbar. This is another phase in my life where God is shaping me to another form. Thank God He open my eyes. Sepertinya segala attribute (aksesori2) pelayanan saya sudah ditanggalkan…yang tinggal hanyalah karakter (buah-buah) yang terpancar dari kehidupan saya. Sama ada buah-buah roh atau buah-buah yang busuk yang keluar, itulah yang Tuhan perlihatkan pada saya.

Kadangkala tanpa kita sedar, kita kurang memperhatikan apakah diri kita masih menghasilkan buah-buah roh. Pelayanan tetap jalan, bahkan makin sibuk namun tanpa disedari, karakter kita berubah..tiada penguasaan diri, melayani sudah tidak ada sukacita..sudah hilang damai sejahtera…kalau ada damai & sukacitapun mungkin sebab ada kawan-kawan bersama-sama atau kebetulan hari tu mood baik. Melayani no. 1 namun sudah mulai mau mencari gereja-gereja lain dengan alasan gerejanya sekarang tidak dapat menampung karunianya yang hampir sama bahkan sepertinya lebih banyak dari pastornya…dalam kata lain, hilang sudah kesetiaan akan gereja dan pelayanan. The list can goes on and on…dan saya tidak bermaksud untuk menyinggung sesiapa di sini namun inilah hal yang Tuhan bukakan kepada saya sepanjang beberapa minggu yang lalu. Suatu teguran bagi saya juga kerana ini benar-benar membuat saya merasa sangat kecil dihadapan Tuhan.

Bagi saya, lebih baik kita dikenal dari buah-buah roh yang terhasil dari kehidupan kita, untuk melayani dengan hati yang murni adalah tidak mudah bila kita bersandar pada karunia & kekuatan kita saja. Temptation to pride is always there. So guys, whatever spiritual gifts u have, balance them with your spiritual fruits. Sorry for the mix use of language, I believe u guys got my point . Have a great day. God bless.

INspired to impact,
Wagner

Being ONE

2009-08-27T17:47:00.006+08:00

Looking back in my past years ministry in RYC, I was blessed to have worked with so many kind of friends and unique + energetic young people. Selalunya orang berkata untuk memiliki team yang sama "kepala" alias minat benda yang sama atau karakter yang sama. I don't really agree with that. Having people yang sama kepala dlm ministry does help at certain times but it can cause problem in later days.

Sepanjang pelayanan saya di SIBKL Lake City, khususnya di RYC, saya bersyukur kerana Tuhan menghantar leaders yang memiliki karakter dan keunikan mereka tersendiri, ada yang intim, ada yang dominan, tidak kurang juga yang cermat dan stabil karakternya. Saya belajar untuk membawa setiap kami terfokus pada visi dan objective dari perjuangan pelayanan RYC dan bukannya konflik di daerah perbezaan pendapat dan pembawaan.

Sedih sekali melihat youth ministry, gereja2 atau organisasi yang pecah gara-gara gagal melihat visi yang sama. Masing-masing mempertahankan pendapat dan cara kerja masing-masing sehingga jemaat terkorban. And still, they're proud to call themselves leaders. Leaders yang bukannya dipimpin Tuhan untuk "membelah laut" (seperti musa) namun, leaders yang dipimpin oleh keegoan cita-cita masing untuk "membelah jemaat", "membelah gereja".

Gereja Tuhan di mana-mana banyak mendengar khotbah mengenai 1 Korintus 12:12-27 namun pratically, not everybody are living to it...saya sendiri masih diproses dalam hal kesatuan, ada hal tertentu yang saya masih lemah namun saya berusaha terus dan tidak akan mengalah kerana MENYESAL SEPARUH MATI kalau kita mengalah dan kita dapat tahu bahawa we just few steps to the finishing line!...
Here's a video that inspires me. This is a dance group that consist of young and senior...how they manage to get together to practice and focus on their goal despite being different in so many ways. If you're leading a team, encourage your team to focus on the vision and learn to trust your team to do the task their own way, as long as the vision is achieve. If you're in a team, know that your part is as important as the others. Be faithful even if it's just a small part or it might not seem like a popular job. God honor you. Be faithful.

Lastly, marilah kita terus menabur benih yang positif dalam generasi kita. Apa yang terjadi pada generasi akan datang bergantung dengan apa yang kita lakukan pada generasi ini. Tidak mungkin kita menuai generasi yang bersatu jika kita tidak menabur "benih-benih" kesatuan dalam generasi ini. Denominasi boleh saja berbeza, cara ibadah boleh saja berbeza...why not we focus on the same vision? -stay blessed :)

Being Abraham

2009-08-27T16:57:00.005+08:00

Gereja kami baru saja mengumumkan ahli majlis gereja yang baru and 90% of them are FRESH! Young and the dangerous (to the kingdom of darkness) and full of energy and vision. Relevant Youth Church (RYC) has been passed to a new generation of leaders led by my bro. Alexson.

Saya bersyukur kerana dalam tempoh 2007-2009, TUHAN telah mempercayakan saya memimpin RYC ke satu level yang boleh menjadi berkat bagi generasi ini malah saya sangat yakin dan pasti bahawa RYC akan dipimpin ke level yang lebih tinggi lagi, merebut “kota-kota” lain di dalam “tanah kanaan” yang sudah Dia sediakan untuk gereja kami. Musa sudah memimpin bangsa Israel keluar dari Tanah Mesir..suatu tugas yang sukar, sekarang tiba masa Joshua untuk meneruskan perjuangan memasuki tanah kanaan dan menakluk kota-kota yang diberikan Tuhan. The same thing happen in our church now including RYC.

Having said that, saya sempat meluangkan lebih 1 jam heart-to-heart talk dengan pastor saya, Pastor Kenny, yang juga merupakan salah 1 bapa rohani saya. Btw leaders, it is VERY IMPORTANT for us to be connected to our pastor. Di sanalah kita boleh mengongsikan visi & mimpi kita dan di sana jugalah dia boleh mengongsikan visinya untuk pelayanan kita bahkan we can build trust and strong bond as we spend quality time with our pastor. So, youth leaders, don’t be “allergic” with your pastor…bertobatlah!

So, as we share our dreams and hopes, we pray and as we pray God spoke to me through His covenant with Abram (before he being named Abraham in Genesis 17:1-9).

“As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”

Our generation these days needs a father figure. We have a lot of teachers and leaders in our generation but very less father figure. Telah tiba waktunya untuk hati bapa-bapa berbalik kepada anak-anaknya dan hati anak-anak kepada bapa-bapanya supaya ALLAH jangan datang memukul bumi sehingga musnah- Maleakhi 4:5-6

Generasi kita runtuh kerana tiada figure bapa...dan ini berbicara mengenai institusi kekeluargaan. Kebanyakkan keluarga melepaskan tanggungjawab kepada gereja khusunya pastor untuk mendidik anak-anak mereka..sedangkan pastor & pemimpin gereja hanya bertemu dengan anak-anak mereka kurang dari 48jam seminggu berbanding dengan mereka.

As i'm entering a new phase in my life, in my ministry, relationship and career, i believe God is preparing me for His kingdom. How, What, Where and When? I don't know but I'm making a plan and be prepared to be directed by the Holy SPirit. For those of you who read this post, I believe all of us are called to be a father/mother for this generation. I want to encourage all of you to step up to another level in your spiritual life, growing up to be a father...not baby. It won't be an easy process but God says "Pikullah kuk yang Ku-pasang dan belajarlah pada-Ku, karena Aku lemah lembut dan rendah hati dan jiwamu akan mendapat ketenangan. 30 Sebab kuk yang Ku-pasang itu enak dan beban-Ku-pun ringan.."Mat 11 : 28 – 30

Have a blessed day.

BLUR

2009-08-25T09:08:00.004+08:00

Bila anak-anak muda melompat2 di dalam gereja sewaktu pujian penyembahan (katanya mengekspresikan cinta mereka pada Tuhan), namun tidak pernah mau mengatur waktu untuk duduk diam berdoa & merenungkan firman. Katanya sibuk dengan pelayanan.

BLUR

Bila anak-anak muda maju ke depan waktu altar-call, dari KKR ke KKR, conference ke conference, camp ke camp, sudah tumbang, di doakan, di kaunseling...lepas beberapa bulan, orang yang sama maju ke depan untuk di doakan. Pergumulan & keterikatan sama...mcm tidak pernah lepas.

BLUR

Bila anak-anak muda di dalam gereja mengaku generasi radikal namun bila di luar, hanya jaguh kampung. Hidup yang tidak memberi impak, bahkan, orang sekeliling tidak menyedari kalau dia wujud.

BLUR

Bila anak-anak muda menaikkan lagu2 yang mereka sukai (memang melodi lagu-lagu sekarang asikk bangett) namun tidak sedar kalau tujuan pujian penyembahan bukanlah untuk membuat mereka rasa aman...pujian penyembahan ditujukan buat Tuhan, bukan manusia. Sadarr!

BLUR

Bila anak-anak muda menanti-nantikan bila lagi ada konsert, bila lagi ada aktiviti luar, bila lagi ada event-event besar...katanya bosan, tiada buat apa2. Alangkah baiknya kalau kehausan sebegini ditujukan buat Tuhan. Tuhan mencari generasi muda yang haus akan DIa & kebenaran-Nya, bukannya haus untuk menyibukkan diri sendiri.

BLUR

sebab pelayanan youth gak jelas, hitam tidak, putih pun tidak. Makanya BLUR. Dasar tidak kukuh, tapi mimpi & cita2 menggunung tinggi.

I used to run RYC through the above, back then I was blur...thank God. He restore my sight.

Love your enemies

2009-08-21T08:55:00.002+08:00

"Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you"
Matthew 5:44 (NIV translation)

Pretty simple video but insipiring. Makes me evaluate myself..am i bulding a connecting bridge between me and my foe? Like in the video, are we using the rocks to build a bridge or are we throwing back to our enemy?

Zig Ziglar Quotes

2009-08-19T10:40:00.001+08:00

Zig Ziglar Quotes

Shared via AddThis

Zig Ziglar - Life Lesson

2009-08-19T10:39:00.005+08:00

Some of you have seen him on youtube, some of you might read his book...but i guess most of you still haven't know him. He's an international motivational speaker

He was interviewed and ask to give some life lesson. Here's some point that i learn:

-To be 81(He just celebrated his 80th birthday)
-he is not retired but refired..(how many of us can say the same?)
-He believe the best year of his career is still in front of him. (another one..)
-He still learning things. Increasing the importance of relationship in life.
-85% people keep and stay with their job is because of their people skill.
-JOY is a great energizer..that keeps you healthy.
-exercise in order to be in good shape. Most of all eat right.

more can be seen from this video :

also in another interview, Zig ZIglar is asked, why is your faith so important. For some of us who thinks that we have everything and CHrist is second thing..let this video inspires you to change your mind.

The Dirty Feet revelation

2009-08-17T22:50:00.007+08:00

Here's another mind blowing revelation I receive today. It's about washing dirty feet. Yep...I believe we've read the famous last supper story in John 13:1-15. And yes, it's about Jesus washing His disciples' feet. And yes, this passage have been used over and over again to teach us about the servanthood leadership. But why is a mind blowing revelation for me? This is why:

1) There's no servant at all in the dining room

-it is not mention in the bible whether there's a servant who washes Jesus & His disciples' feet. If they have washed they feet before eating, why did Jesus want to wash His disciples feet again?

-for an obvious reason, none of His disciples at that time willing to wash his friend's feet or even Jesus' feet. Why? Because they might think "Nah..they can do it themselves". The disciples are taking each other for granted.

-This is a wake up call for me. My family, my fiance, my leaders & mentor, my friends & RYC...these are the people whom I take for granted. Instead of continue to wash their feet (serve them), I just assume that they don't really need me.

-Jesus knew that His disciples still need to be educated on servanthood 101, so...He did a crash course on that before He return Father.

2) "Lord, are You washing my feet?...You shall never wash my feet!" v6 & v8

-we all know how dirty feet look like, especially when you're wearing sandals..who knows what kind of dirt you picked up. So many times in our christian life, we walk on "dirty path", we get our feet dirty with all sort of sins. And when Jesus want to wash the dirt off our feet, we respond like what Peter did, we say "Jesus! are You seriously gonna wash my dirty feet? You don't deserve to do that, I can wash my own feet..."

-whooaa...look who's talking. "I can wash my own feet.." Well, how many times in our life do we try to wash our own sin with our own good self-righteouss work? We think that if we pray and fast for few days, or when we actively involve in church ministry, we will wash our sins off from our feet.

-but sometimes like Peter, we FORGOT to wash our feet. Eventually the dirt became ticker and ticker and germs starts to spread all over our feet and we fell sick...sick spiritually.

-ONLY God can wash the sins off our life. Stop arguing with Him. period.

3) "What I'm doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.." v7

-Poor Peter, he thought he knew Jesus so well. Like him (Peter), we thought after experience divine encounter with JEsus thru church camps, KKR, retreats, seminar, reading books, devotions..we thought that we know everything about Him.

- Reading this verse i remember 1 quote that struck me few years ago when I'm having difficulties in leadership. "Often understanding comes after obedience"..i still remember that quote. We often assume Jesus will work in certain ways that we know but we forgot that He is God. God wants us to learn to be obedient...to grow our faith..not just knowledge.

- For people who're used to do things ONLY after understand what or why he/she need to do it, this might b a challenge for you. You can't ask God to present you with some paperwork of plans, and only then you will obey Him.

4)"Lord not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!", Jesus said to him. "he who bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you're clean, but not all of you." v10

-This I need to explain it in a more polite way. Sudah lah kena cuci kaki, minta lebih-lebih pula...nda cukup yakin sama apa yang Tuhan sudah buat. Yep...often we ask more and more from God, more sign, more miracles, more blessings...we never feel contented (alias nda pandai merasa bersyukur atau merasa cukup) with what God has done in our life.

-we knew God's promises but yet we still ask for more...just to proove that He is true to His words (nda tau malu & nda sedar diri)

-trust God, when He says our sins is washed away, we must believe that our sins is washed away. When God says "nothing is impossible"..learn to really trust His word.

5) Humility is the way

-Jesus knew that Peter would turn his back on Him. Jesus knew that Judas is selling Him. But yet He still washes their feet. This simple act brings a huge impact into Peter's and Judas' life and we knew, because of this simple act, Peter changed into becoming one of the most radical disciples of Jesus while Judas take his own life.

-sometimes we think that we must be dominant just to make our points clear..we think if we use louder tones or harsh words we can let the other party knows what we trying to say. We often forget that humility is the way.

6) "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet." v14

-straight forward and understandable...we ought to wash one another's feet. Not pointing at their feet and shouted "Hey everybody! look at his dirty feet!". When we see our brothers sisters sin, aren't we suppose to help them wash their feet with God's love? not condemning them like some modern day Pharisees and Sadducees in our churches.

God rebuke me over and over again as I type out this post. He remind me how He washes my dirty feet and how I should keep my feet clean. I'm not better than all of you, none of us is better than anybody...all of us have our own dirty feet. Let us let Jesus to wash our feet and be ready to wash one another's feet after that. Happy washing!...err...selamat mencuci kaki.

Running away from dogs

2009-08-17T21:42:00.005+08:00

I still remember the time when I experience the “love bite” from my neighbor’s dog. That was back when I was 9 or 10 years old. I was innocently hitting the dog cage and being enraged, the dog ram through the tiny door that was tightly closed. The rest is history…thank God there’s not stitches involve but I remember myself running away like crazy after being chased by my neighbor’s dog.

When we’re chased by something that terrify us, we don’t really have time to think where to run or what’s our next move…what we have in mind at that time is to run away from the danger behind us. Well, having said that, I’ve heard stories of people who pee in their pants, hit the wall/trees or even fell into the drain while running away from danger..most of the time, running away from some crazy dogs!

I apply this in my spiritual life and after observing my life and the people around me especially the young people in my ministry, I come to a point where I realize, some Christians trying hard to run away from their sin or temptation for many years…some succeeded, some escaped but in the process of running, they hit on something else or get into worse condition. Some try to escape from smoking but end up being an alcoholic, some escape from being a porn addict but end up in sexual immorality…some tries to run away from gossiping but end up being a bitter person…some running away from wild social life and repent but end up misusing the ministry…making ministry as another version of his/her past wild social life. And when we realize that we’re running and not going anywhere with it, we got frustrated and start questioning God.

I come to a conclusion, when we run away from something, we must not only RUN AWAY from it but we must RUN TOWARDS something or PURSUE something. The Bible says :

“Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy” 1 Corinthians 14:1 (NKJV)
“Kejarlah kasih itu dan usahakanlah dirimu memperoleh karunia-karunia Roch, terutama karunia untuk bernubuat.” 1 Korintus 14:1

*******

“tetapi engkau hai manusia Allah, jauhilah semuanya itu, kejarlah keadilan, ibadah, kesetiaan, kasih, kesabaran dan kelembutan” 1 Timotius 6:11 (mula baca dari ayat 3)
“but you..are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance and gentleness” 1 Timothy 6:11 (NLT)

********

“Sebab itu, jauhilah nafsu orang muda, kejarlah keadilan, kesetiaan, kasih dan damai bersama-sama dengan mereka yang berseru kepada Tuhan dengan hati yang murni…” 2 Timotius 2:22
“Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” 2 Timothy 2:22 (NKJV)

********
“Berusahalah hidup damai dengan semua orang dan kejarlah kekudusan, sebab tanpa kekudusan tidak seorangpun akan melihat Tuhan.” Ibrani 12:14
“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see Lord.” Hebrews 12:14 (NKJV)

So, the next time you plan to run away from temptations and sins, don’t run like mad to any direction, but run towards God…it’s the safest place you can be. Have a great day!

Give me the mountain!

2009-08-16T20:52:00.004+08:00

Caleb and Joshua

Mount Hebron

I was inspired by a story of a man of God called Caleb. Some of you might know this guy. “Wait! Isn’t he one of the two guys among the 12 Israelites spies who went to survey the Promised Land (Canaan)?” Yes,the other cool guy is Joshua. Why did I labeled them as the “cool guy” or “cool dude”? Not because they wear the latest fashion or they have the latest 16gig iPhone. For me, they’re cool because they stood against all odds. The other 10 spies gave a negative report to Moses about the Promised Land while they (Joshua & Caleb) are so positive about the Promised Land and fully confident that God has given them the land (Numbers 13:1-33, 14:6-8). “v30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it!”..hey checkout chapter 14:6-8 too! Oh, I think I’ll go “rojak” with this blog post.

This positive and great faith of Caleb doesn’t stop there…yeah! (I love this guy) Sewaktu Yosua membahagikan tanah Kanaan kepada suku-suku Israel (setelah mereka masuk ke Tanah Perjanjian), sewaktu suku-suku lain minta tanah-tanah yang subur, si Kaleb pula meminta Hebron. Btw, Hebron is a mountain! (Joshua 14:12). Whoaa! What can you do with a mountain? Well, if Caleb still alive ‘till this day, he can just develop Mount Hebron as Genting Highlands or Kinabalu Park (at least he can still make profit out of it)…but instead, he ask for Mount Hebron meskipun dia tau bahawa ada orang Enak (the Anakims) dengan kota-kota besar dan berkubu, tinggal di Herbon.

Wait…wait, reverse to Joshua 14:6-11. Perhatikan bagaimana Kaleb benar-benar memiliki iman yang besar dan kepercayaan kepada ALLAH yang dia sembah! Bila orang lain memilih hal-hal yang gampang/mudah/selesa, Kaleb memilih untuk meminta the impossibles! Why did he dare to ask for the impossible? Check out verse 14 “itulah sebabnya Hebron menjadi milik pusaka Kaleb bin Yefune (that's Caleb's full name btw)….sampai ke hari ini, kerana dia tetap mengikuti TUHAN, Allah Israel dengan sepenuh hati”

Kaleb punya hubungan dengan TUHAN, dia mengikuti TUHAN dengan sepenuh hati, maka tidak hairanlah dia memiliki keyakinan yang penuh akan kuasa TUHAN yang menyertainya sewaktu dia menduduki Hebron.

Saya sangat terinspirasi oleh ayat-ayat di atas dan semakin bersemangat untuk melayani Tuhan dan meminta the impossibles! I don’t know about you, you might be the kind of person who prefer to take the easy way in life, mengelakkan konflik/kritikan orang, memilih jalan selamat…but I pray today, as you read this post, God will give you the courage and your faith will grow as Caleb’s. What are the mountains (the impossible) in your life? Your studies? Your Career? Your ministry? Your family? Your Relationship? Nothing is impossible with God. Let us ask for the mountains!

The Great Wall Of China

2009-08-12T11:36:00.007+08:00

The Great Wall of China

This morning, I was having my breakfast in front of the TV while watching NGEO documentary on Great Wall Of China. I finish my breakfast within 15minutes but decided to stay and watch the documentary until it ends. Here's the link to 39 interesting facts about the Great Wall which i think everyone should read : http://facts.randomhistory.com/2009/04/18_great-wall.html

It's so amazing to see how an ambitious leader use their power to protect their ruling. That was the first intention of building the wall..to PROTECT. Here's what i wanna share 2 things that I learn from the Great Wall Of China:

1) Different leaders might have different vision, but they need to think to bring their vision and their predecessor's vision together for the benefit of the organization.

- The Great Wall was built by more than 4 emperor the Qin, Han, Sui, Jin and, most famously, the Ming (1368-1644). Suprisingly, these great wall are not joined! Each dynasty seems to have their own thought of protecting China and they fail to see the main purpose of building the wall at the first place.

-Because the Great Wall was discontinuous, Mongol invaders led by Genghis Khan had no problem going around the wall and they subsequently conquered most of northern China.

-Leaders have their own vision, some might have their own agenda to be famous than their predecessor...but it won't bring any good to the organization/team if they doesn't connect their vision. In fact, it may bring a total destruction to the whole organization

2) Leaders make their vision worth to die for, not die because of the vision.

-During the Ming dynasty, nearly one million soldiers were said to defend the Great Wall from “barbarians” and non-Chinese.

-apart from that, the manpower to build the Great Wall came from frontier guards, peasants, unemployed intellectuals, disgraced noblemen, and convicts. In fact, there existed a special penalty during the Qin and Han dynasties under which convicted criminals were made to work on the Wall.

-This wall building project cost thousands/millions of life! Some even born and die near the great wall without knowing if their hard labour is worthwhile.

-There's a saying "a person's character is known when he/she is given a power over people". I've learn this the hard way during my leadership in RYC. SOmetimes I misused the people who work with me. Yep, MISUSED. Taking them for granted without really asking them what's their vision for the ministry or how they feel about the ministry.

-to this day, I'm still planting the vision among the new leadership of RYC. God may give them an improved version of vision He gave me. I pray that this God-given vision is a vision worth to die for.

To conclude, what really matter is not how BIG the vision is, it's how BIG the heart of the people in achieving the vision.

Stay blessed.

Inspiring the birth of a generation of revolutionist

2009-07-30T12:30:00.010+08:00

Can ONE talented people inspires to the birth of a generation of revolutionist? YES, Jesus did. He's not only talented, He is God! His life forever inspires the whole world. In this article, I would like to draw your attention to few guys who i believe very very very few of you know them.

I was practising my chops (drums rudiments that is!) just now while watching X-Games classics on ESPN. I was touched by the courage, persistence and disciplines of the athletes. Btw, this are X-games athletes...making big tricks with skateboard, BMX, motocross bike, rally car, inline skate etc. You might not have heard of a guy named Mat Hoffman. He started revolutionary BMX tricks that inspires today's generation of BMXers. Tony Hawk, a pro skater also did the same thing with skateboard. He come up with lots of tricks that evolved by the later generation of skaters. These two guys inspires a generation of revolutianist among the X-gamers and until today, most of the tricks we see are all inspired by both of them.

Having said that, I want u guys to check out this guy name Danny Way, Jake Brown, Travis Pastrana..watch their videos in youtube and you'll amazed what those people can do to impact their generation & the next generation. They broke their bones, fail to do tricks but yet they still keep on moving, they still keep on believing in their talent. They just focus on their talent and with work hard and persistence, they reach their goal. By the way, Danny Way is the first and only skaters so far, who manage to jump over the Great Of China with skateboard! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdamrGj7bsg&feature=related)

Now, can you imagine in our east malaysian society, a guy who're professional skaters or dancers or singers or movie maker who makes a huge impact in their generation, thus inspiring the birth of a generation of revolutionist. Can you imagine, a person who's talent is to draw comics can make a huge impact in our generation? Can you imagine a person who's life is about futsal can make a huge impact in our nation? I do. I have seen lots of potential in this generation of ours. Church should be alert and discover these hidden talents.

All of us are gifted with talents, never let anybody put u down just because your talent is not famous/interesting compare to others. Don't give up on your talents when people say being succesful is to be a businessman, lawyer, doctor, engineer etc. who earn more than 10k a month! Use whatever talent you have. Starting today, pray to God and believe that He will use you to inspire a generation of revolutionist who will impact the nation. I'm still in the process of sharpening my talents & discovering a new one...this will never stop and i hope the same goes with you too. OK, need to return to my practice now...have an inspiring week guys! God bless

Danny Way

Jake Brown

Travis Pastrana

TALENT IS NEVER ENOUGH

2009-07-30T11:56:00.005+08:00

Few days ago my dad bought me a book...since he knew that i'm a big fan of John C. Maxwell. He bought a great book titled TALENT IS NEVER ENOUGH. I'm still reading it and it was so inspiring. From weeks or months to come, i'm gonna share what i've learned & practiced after reading the book.

I used to think that with my talent i can go further in life...in my career as musician or in ministry. I was wrong...talent alone is never enough..there's another element needed for us to go further & higher. I've also seen many talented people, especially young people who fall..not because they're NOT talented, but they fall because they ARE talented people and the problem is when talented people think that talent is all they need. Talent is just a small percent of what can contribute to ones success. I really recommend u guys to find this book and i believe it will inspires you as much it inspires me.

In conclusion, here's are the thing that complement a person's talent:

BELIEF lifts your talent

PASSION energizes your talent

INITIATIVE activates your talent

FOCUS directs your talent

PREPARATION positions your talent

PRACTICE sharpens your talent

PERSEVERANCE sustains your talent

COURAGE tests your talent

TEACHABILITY expands your talent

CHARACTER protects your talent

RELATONSHIPS influence your talent

RESPONSIBILITY strengthens your talent

TEAMWORK multiplies your talent

What ONE life can do to IMPACT

2009-07-15T14:45:00.007+08:00

I have seen in my ministry life many Christians have give up either on their ministry, their church, their friends and their own life. I've seen christians who're once ministering at their top-highest level of spirituality and passion and now, some of them living their life as if they never know who they're once before and what God has done in their life. It's such a sad situation. It bring tears to my eyes as I see my friends & other people drifting away from their calling.

The numbers of youth attending church these days are growing really fast and yet I am not surprise if we gonna lose this generation soon...sooner than we think. Why is this happening in our generation? Most of us can come up with many reasons...which is true but in my opinion, the reason why some Christians can't run the race till the end is because they have not realize what God can do with their life.

Years ago, my aim of being a christian is to enter heaven. While waiting for His second coming, I will try my best to be a good christian, living my life according to the bible. And if i'm blessed enough with some talent, I will serve God in church...and apparantly I find myself involve with the music ministry in my church back when I was 13 years old. Playing drums from church service to inter-denomination service. That time being a Christian and a church musician, I thought the highest level of ministry i can go is to play music in the state level youth conference. Those time, any church musician who manage to play at the youth conference is considered as the best musician. It was a big event, held at the capital city of Sabah, Kota Kinabalu.

Well, God is good...He manage to grab me before I play there (youth conference). I didn't manage to join my team to serve at the youth conference because my whole family move to peninsular malaysia. Why did I say God is good when He grab me away? Well, I will become a big head church musician if I were to play there.

Looking back, I want to tell you that being a christian is not about serving God at the largest venue, popular conference / service, recording album, touring the nation with your ministry group and so on. Well, all these are just part of the ministry but doing it doesn't make us be the highest level or the elite christian. That's not the main reason God created us.

Imagine if you were to reach those level. You'll be thinking, "what else needed? I've reached my goal as a Christian. I've involve in the biggest ministry ever!"...I have impacted the nation. Sounds true, but not quite true. First and foremost, we know that “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is not from works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 (NET) Nothing that we do can make us righteous other than by the grace of God. So, I thought whatever I do, if it’s big, then I can consider myself making a big impact and inspiring others. But God rebuke me. My life, my renewed life is not solely for doing church ministry, organizing events and stuff…my renewed life is to impact other people 360 degrees through my words, my thoughts, my actions, my music…in fact, EVERYTHING about my life, when I’m at the pulpit, when I’m not serving in church…EVERYTHING about my life is meant to give impact to the people around me.

Some Christians divide church ministry and their daily living. Hey, our life is a ministry! Every single thing that we do is for God (Colossians 3:17). I want to summarize all this through the following lines:

Don’t think that you're making a big impact when you’ve become a great preacher.
Don’t think that you’re making a big impact if you’re a worship leader in a big conference.
Don’t think that you’re making a big impact if lots of people know how talented you are.
Don’t think that you’re making a big impact if your voice can’t be heard by thousands.
Don’t think that you’re making a big impact if you only know how to do ministry but not ministry itself.

But

You’re making a BIG impact when you willing to spend some time listening to a friend who are struggling with his sin.
You’re making a BIG impact when you willing to help your church’s usher to arrange the chairs or clean the church.
You’re making a BIG impact if you willing to take unpaid leave just to take care your sick relative.
You’re making a BIG impact if a person sees you on stage while you worship lead, saying “I know him, he’s not just a worship leader, he’s my mentor”
You’re making a BIG impact if you found yourself praying for your troubled friend over the phone when she called you at 4 a.m.

The list goes on and on…making an impact with your life not about quantity; it’s about the quality of your life. I believe that if a person connected to God, whatever he do with his life is an impact towards others. If you can see how your life can be used to impact others, the word “retire” from ministry will never surface. Let us continue to impact others with whatever we have. Just like the little boy who make a BIG impact by giving his 2 fish and 5 loaves to Jesus.

Have a blessed day.

Time to change

2009-07-14T00:37:00.008+08:00

I'm counting my days...asking GOD & myself. Have I done enough for the next gen of leaders? Have I really impacting their life and have they learn something from me? Before I begin a new journey, I have to end this journey. Changing route, heading towards a new land. Changes doesn't always feel good at first but it sure make a whole lot difference in ones life IF it's a good changes. In the past I've made some changes in my life which is not a good changes tho it seems like a right thing to do at first. It's a painful experience.

We all need to change, leaders need to change. We need to move forward and let the new leaders take over our place...don't hold on to your position, but hold on tight to your commitment towards the ministry...that shows what kind of leader you are.

I don't know why, i have this little worry in my heart concerning the young leaders. Not that I don't trust them, but I felt that they're more than just a leader or brothers & sisters to me...they are like my own children. I felt that as a "father", i want to see my children (the young people of RYC) growing up to be a better person...better than myself....achieving BIGGER things in life compare to what I've done. I want them not to repeat my mistake..i want them to remember whatever life's lesson I've thought them and whatever advices i gave.

This is not a "good bye" but this is a "I put my trust in you, i know you can do it without me by your side". Just as we leaving our parents to live a life on our own, so does us, as a leaders giving wings for the younger leaders to fly.

To change to a better condition, we need to leave the old condition of us even if it's a comfort zone for us. Changes requires us to lose some in other to gain. This what scares most leaders...to let go. The fear of losing their so-called "glorious moment" in ministry.

It's time to change to a new wineskin..-"And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine desires new wine, but says, “The old is good" Luke 5:37-39

I'm ready for a change. How about you?

What I’ve learned from serving in the youth ministry

2009-07-10T23:57:00.005+08:00

Some brief history about my ministry life before I serve in RYC (Relevant Youth Church). I’m a typical church musician. What I know during that time is, playing drums atau pelayanan mimbar adalah pelayanan utama gereja..yang lain-lain tu nda penting, bahkan bukan pelayanan yang sesungguhnya. Basically I’m a typical narrow minded, pemuzik gereja yang berpandangan sempit. Itu dahulu, 14 years ago…thank God He love me and renewed me. I start to serve in church as musician when I’m 15 years old..so u guys can guess my age..haha .

Anyway, when it comes to youth ministry, what I see is a bunch of youth having a service like normal Sunday service but added with games, casual outfit, slightly heavy music and you can jump (IF your church allow such things!) So, that’s how I see the youth ministry. Itu dahulu. Coming to KL, serving in the same church since 1999 until now, I have no interest in the youth ministry because I see it as a boring ministry..sekadar memenatkan ja dan saya sendiri tidak terlibat didalam youth ministry pada waktu itu..kalau terlibat pun, sebagai pemuzik ja..biasalah, “orang-orang seni” di gereja ni kan macam artis, datang bila dijemput untuk nyanyi-nyanyi…hahaha..kalau yang tersinggung tu, bertobatlah..kalau anda yang ketawa tu, puji Tuhan, kita semua pernah melalui zaman2 itu sebelum bertobat dulu.

Fast forward the years, gereja kami tahun 2007 dimentor dan ingin saya katakan, RYC bermula dan tetap bertahan pada hari ini kerana campur tangan Tuhan melalui mentoring di gereja kami. Ntah kenapa, sebelum mentoring masuk, sebelum Relevant Youth Church ada, saya diangkat jadi youth leader gereja. Siapa yang tidak hairan? Saya sendiri hairan sebab saya sendiri tidak pernah terfikir untuk jadi pemimpin. Namun kerana kemurahan dan anugerah Tuhan lah saya ada pada hari ini sebagai leader yang Tuhan percayakan bagi memimpin Relevant Youth Church. Anyway, the details about how I become a youth leader you can ask when we meet la ya.

Anyway, I doesn’t have yearssss of experience in youth ministry. 2 tahun setengah ja pengalaman bah. Tapi saya sangat sangat sangat bersyukur pada Tuhan kerana dalam 2 tahun lebih saya melayani sebagai youth leader, Tuhan membuka hati saya, pemimikiran saya, mengubah hidup saya bahkan, perspektif saya mengenai pelayanan turut berubah. Ingin saya kongsikan apa yang saya pelajari sewaktu melayani di RYC.

1) Youth ministry is about RELATIONSHIP
I realize that youth ministry is not only about wearing funky casual outfit for service, it’s not about playing heavy music and jump to it, not even playing games or the ice breaker. Hey! Youth di luar sana yang tidak kenal Tuhan pun melakukan hal yang sama. That is a very narrow view of youth ministry if you look it that way. As I mention in my previous post, youth ministry is about RELATIONSHIP. VERTICAL RELATIONSHIP (Me & GOD) and HORIZONTAL RELATIONSHIP (Me & the people around me) seperti dalam Matius 22:37-40. The music, concerts, games etc. is just some “accessories” of youth ministry..penting, namun bukan yang terpenting.

2) Youth ministry is about being RELEVANT
As I mention in my previous post (CONTEMPORARY vs RELEVANT). Most of churches think that having the latest hi-tech sound system and music instrument is relevant. Some might think that having lots of activities is relevant. Apa yang saya pelajari, youth ministry yang relevant adalah pelayanan yang memenuhi keperluan youth itu sendiri. Masih ingat Hirarki Maslow (Hirarki Keperluan manusia)? Youth ministry is about being God’s hand in meeting the youth’s need…bukan sekadar memenuhi keperluan rohani mereka. I believe all of us are created for a relationship.

3) Youth minister serves throughout the season
Maksudnya, apapun keadaan yang kita lalui, kita harus tetap konsisten dan bersemangat dalam melayani anak-anak muda ini. Dalam kata lain, setiap yang melayani di youth ministry adalah orang yang TIDAK melayani dengan mood-moodnya. Kalau moodnya hari tu baik, bersemangatlah dia melayani. Kalau moodnya tidak baik, tidak la tu bersemangat.

Now, what about someone who’re burnout? Obviously he/she need to rest…TETAPI…selalunya apa yang saya lihat orang-orang yang berehat dari pelayanan ni tidak dimonitor progress mereka oleh pastor/pemimpin gereja, dan youth leader yang burnout itu sendiri tidak mau submit dengan pemimpin mereka. This happen in most of our BM churches. Kurangnya follow up pada orang yang sudah burnout/jatuh. Makanya tidak hairan kalau orang yang sama burnout pada tahun-tahun berikutnya…burnout nya pun kerana hal yang sama.

Serving in the youth ministry kita harus bersandar pada kekuatan dan kemurahan Tuhan untuk tetap bersemangat melayani Dia dalam apapun keadaan. Saya sendiri pernah merasa mau berehat dari memikirkan RYC atau pelayanan lain, namun saya ingat bahawa saya ni hamba Tuhan…HAMBA TUHAN. Yang namanya HAMBA, mana boleh suka-suka berhenti dari pelayanan kan? So, we rest when God wants us to rest…He is the Master and we’re the servant.

4) 24-7
Praying for the youth 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Pray for the youth in your church as much as possible…while driving, while watching tv, while reading, while in class...anywhere, pray for God’s covering upon the students in your church. That’s the responsibility of the youth leader…bukan sekadar sibuk mengatur program.

Oh btw, your phone need to be on 24 hours a day and please don’t put it on silent/vibrate mode unless you’re required so. Why is this important? This is from my experience, some of the youth will sms / call you around 2 or 4 in the morning. Telling their problems…cry over the phone..ask you to pray for them..even hal-hal yang kecil pun mereka akan hubungi kita. Why? Because they see us not only as leader…but as a friend, a brother…even as father. Bertobatlah kalau anda merasa itu hal yang membebankan. Being a youth leader, I’m seeing myself not only as a leader, but as a brother and father. So, 24-7 you make yourself available to your youth…of course you got work to do, but you got what I mean right?

5) Youth leader MUST have a BIG heart
Dalam RYC, saya belajar bahawa tiada istilah “saya bagi kau 3 peluang saja”. Anak-anak muda memang cenderung untuk buat kesilapan. Seperti dalam Amsal 22:15 Kebodohan melekat pada hati orang muda, tetapi tongkat didikan akan memgusir itu daripadanya”. Sewaktu mula-mula menjadi leader RYC, banyak sekali “kebodohan-kebodohan” yang melekat pada hati saya dan saya puji Tuhan, mentor-mentor, pemimpin-pemimpin dan teman-teman sepelayanan saya banyak menegur dan membantu saya.

So leaders, expect the unexpected. Kita memang mempunyai harapan yang tinggi pada anak-anak muda kita, namun kita harus tahu bahawa mereka juga spesis seperti kita yang pasti ada kelemahan. So, milikilah hati yang BESAR untuk menampung kelemahan dan kesalahan mereka. Ingat, seperti Yesus membenci dosa dan mengasihi orang yang berdosa, begitulah hendaknya kita membenci dosa generasi ini dan mengasihi mereka yang berdosa.

6) Youth leader always want others to improve
Ini yang saya pelajari pada tahun ini. Memberi dorongan dan sokongan (doa, moral & kewangan) kepada youth leaders dari gereja lain. Kita sama-sama melayani di ladangnya Tuhan, kalau hanya kita sabotaj/memburukkan/tidak menyokong pelayanan youth di gereja lain, bukan kah itu mementingkan diri sendiri?

Kita bermati-matian berdoa agar Tuhan melawat generasi muda di Negara kita yang terdiri daripada 14 buah negeri. Adakah gereja kita sendiri dapat menjangkau semua anak-anak muda di 14 buah negeri ni? We need TEAM! We need youth leaders from other churches to work together with us. Makanya kita perlu mendorong satu dengan yang lain dan saling me’network’kan diri agar generasi kita dapat mengenal Tuhan.

7) Youth leader connected to their pastor
Saya banyak mendengar keluhan dari kawan-kawan sepelayanan saya dari gereja-gereja BM yang lain. Mereka mengatakan bahawa pelayanan muda-mudi gereja mereka tidak diberi kebebasan untuk melakukan aktiviti. Ada 2 hal yang dapat saya perhatikan dari situasi seperti ini. Pertama, youth leader itu sendiri tiada hubungan bapa-anak dengan pastor mereka. Kedua, pastor mereka sendiri memiliki pemikiran yang lama (ini perlu kemurahan Tuhan dan doa-doa yang terus menerus ni).

Namun, selalunya masalah didapati pada hal yang pertama tadi. As a youth leader, I’m seeing my pastor not only as my pastor, but as my spiritual father, my mentor, my friend and my leader. We need to build the father-son relationship…build the trust. Bila ada hubungan, kepercayaan akan mulai timbul. Saya pernah melihat youth leaders yang sepertinya “allergic” dengan pastor mereka. Tidak tenang kalau duduk dekat…dalam kata lain, kepahitan sama pemimpin alias memberontak sama pemimpin. Nah, makanya tidak hairanlah kalau youth ministry di gereja mereka tidak maju, pemimpin youthnya sendiri tidak berada di bawah payung gereja (pastor gereja). So friends, kalau anda merasa bahawa Roh Kudus menegur anda di area ini, bertobatlah. Kongsikan visi anda kepada pastor anda dan dengar pastor anda menyatakan visi dan harapannya untuk pelayanan muda-mudi di gereja.

This is another long post of mine. But I hope you’ll be inspired by this as much as I’m get inspired by God while serving Him in RYC. Until then, have a blessed day.

A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E

2009-07-08T08:29:00.003+08:00

Yep...you spell it right, ATTITUDE. I recently dig in on of my dad's favourite writer; John C. Maxwell. I read his book titled "The Difference Maker". That book talks about our attitude. Our attitude make things look differently. Here's what I've learned and I want to share them to you:

What ATTITUDE can do for you :

1) Your attitude makes a difference in your approach to life
-The happiest people in life don't necessarily have the best of everything. They just try to make the best of everything.

2) Your attitude makes a difference in your relationships with people
-The Lense Principle : We are determines how we see others
-The Pain Principle : Hurting people hurt people and are easily hurt by them
-The Elevator Principle : We can lift people up or take them down in our relationship
-The Learning Principle : Each person we meet has the potential to teach us something

3) Your attitude makes a difference in how you face challenges
-no society has ever developed tough men during time of peace. We all grew as the result of overcoming diffculties. The better your attitude, the more likely you will be to overcome difficulties, grow, and move forward.
-When a problem comes into contact with someone who has a positive attitude, the result is often something wonderful.

4) Your attitude is the difference maker
-your attitude has a profound influence on how you see the world-and thus on the way you live out your life

So folks, always remember, the problem is not the problem itself, it's the attitude of us towards the situation. We only live once, maximize the use of our life to inspire & impact other life. Be blessed :)

We Reap What We Sow

2009-06-29T18:56:00.004+08:00

It has been a while since my last post. Pretty busy with stuff. For those of you who have been reading my blog since day 1, i hope you're blessed & inspired.

Well, as mentioned in the title, We reap what we sow. Kita menabur apa yang kita tuai..kita tidak akan menuai hal-hal yang baik jika kita tidak menabur benih-benih yang baik. Impossible! Berdoalah berbulan-bulan, hoping for miracles...kita hanya akan menuai apa yang telah kita tabur. This is biblical (Galatians 6:7 Don't be deceived. God will not be made fool. FOr a person reap what he sows)..not just a positive tagline.

For example, katakanlah kita menanam benih buah jambu, tapi kita mengharapkan untuk mendapatkan buah durian. Mustahil kita menuai buah durian kan? meskipun kita berdoa dan puasa..kita tetap akan menuai buah jambu dan bukan buah durian. Seringkali saya sendiri hidup dalam angan-angan dan yg parahnya, tanpa saya sedari, saya cuba mempermainkan Tuhan dengan mengharapkan untuk menuai hal-hal yang saya ingini padahal lain yang saya tabur.

Apa yang kita "tuai" pada hari ini adalah akibat daripada apa yang kita "tabur" pada masa lalu. So, if we want to reach our dreams, we need to start sowing the right seed today.

This is a pretty short post but i hope this post can inspire you as it has inspire me.

few seconds that inspires me today

2009-06-18T15:17:00.004+08:00

I read this a couple hours ago and this is just an inspiring statements for me today.

There are two kinds of people in the world: those who are able to read the tone and those who are able to set the tone. It’s the difference between being a thermometer that measures the temperature and being a thermostat that sets the temperature.

Hope this inspires u as well. Be a history maker, one renewed life can make a big changes.

My Inputs

2009-06-16T14:15:00.010+08:00

"Jika ada seorang menyangka, bahawa dia mempunyai segala "pengetahuan", maka ia belum juga mencapai pengetahuan, sebagaimana yang harus dicapainya" 1 Korintus 8:2

"and if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know." 1 Corinthians 8:2

Everyone should read, leaders should read...even a drummer like me should read. We stop progressing when we stop learning and reading is one of learning process. I would like to thank my dad, Mr. Daniel Raut for he is the one who bring me into this habit of reading. I'm not a bookworm actually...but it's when i heard my dad say "Son, you need to read, leaders must read"...that day is a turning point for me :). Until now, i still enjoy reading. I have books almost everywhere, toilet, my drum room, living room, guest room..everywhere. So i wanna share to all of u what book i've read for the past few years...and God really shaping me becoming who i am today through this book. These books i read as inputs for youth minstry, music ministry, self-motivation, leadership & christianity.

Well, some books can't upload the images here. ANyway, i read The Battle for A Generation by Ron Hutchcraft, Mentoring by Ir. Eddy Leo, The Power of Influence by John C Maxwell, Mentoring : How to INvest Your Life in Others, The New Worship - Straight Talk on Music and The CHurch by Barry Liesch and many more...

So, read...

Use What You Have, Use It Well

2009-06-15T16:46:00.002+08:00

I was inspired by the story of David when he kill the mighty Goliath (not mighty after all). Ada satu hal yang telah mengubah persepsi (perception) saya mengenai mengalahkan Goliath di dalam hidup saya dan sebenarnya, menjadi pemimpin di RYC selama 2 tahun lebih, there's so much work to be done, there's so many challenges, there's so many difficulties and limitations in order to bring RYC to where it is today..thanks to God for giving me this wonderful experience kerana melalui cerita Daud & Goliath, ada satu prinsip yang saya pegang sehingga ke hari ini.

We read 1 Samuel 17:20-39. Beberapa prinsip yang saya pelajari dari kisah keberhasilan Daud melawan Goliat anda i believe you'll benefit from this.

1) Daud mengenal Tuhan dan pekerjaan-Nya

Bayangkan kalau kita di posisi Daud, tiba dimedan peperangan dan melihat askar-askar israel ketakutan kerana si Goliat sudah mara ke depan. Jika kita ada pada waktu tu, memang kita pun akan merasa takut bukan? Berbeza dengan Daud, dia sempat berkata "..Siapakah orang Filistin yang tak bersunat ini, sampai ia berani mencemoohkan barisan dari pada Allah yang hidup?" Walaupun Daud tau bahawa Goliat itu seorang yang berbadan besar, dia lebih tau siapa Allahnya dan dia terlebih dahulu tau kemenangan ada di pihak Tuhan. Dalam kehidupan kita sehari-hari bahkan dalam pelayanan, berhadapan dengan sang goliat dalam hidup kita, dapatkah kita berani berkata "apakah yang dapat dilakukan oleh masalah ini terhadap aku bila Tuhan ada dipihakku?", Daud punya hubungan denga n Tuhan, makanya dia berani berkata demikian. Dalam ayat 32 juga, saat Daud berhadapan dengan Raja Saul, dengan yakin berkata "Janganlah seorang menjadi tawar hati kerana dia (Goliat); hambamu ini akan pergi melawan orang FIlistin itu." Now that's what i call Faith!

2) Daud dipandang rendah kerana keadaannya-tentangan datang dari orang terdekat, abangnya.

This is something that all of us have to go thru. Being looked down by others. Saya sendiri pernah dan sampai ke hari ini, masih ada mengalami saat-saat di mana orang lain meragui kemampuan saya. Abang Daud, si Eliab mengatakan "Mengapa kau datang?...aku kenal sifat pemberanimu dan kejahatan hatimu.." ayat 28. Kesian Daud, datang-datang ja kena marah. Kesian kau, dengan hati yang berkobar-kobar untuk melayani terus kena marah, kena pandang rendah. Baru mau bercita-cita besar, sudah dipandang rendah oleh orang lain, diejek, diperkecilkan...kesian. Lebih menyedihkan kalau tentangan itu datang dari keluarga / orang yang paling dekat dengan kita (our spouse, friends, church leaders / team). I've been through this. Anyway, respon Daud waktu menerima tentangan dari abangnya cukup positif dan innocent.

3) Daud tau akan kemampuannya (Self analysis / self evaluation) Ayat 34-37

Untuk berjaya, untuk mengalahkan "Goliat" dalam hidup kita, kita perlu menganalisa diri kita sendiri, tau akan kemampuan dan kapasiti kita. Tau siapa identiti kita dihadapan Tuhan dan mintalah dimentor oleh orang yang lebih matang dalam kerohanian / hal-hal teknikal/pengetahuan. Minta nasihat dan bimbingan dari mentor kita untuk menemukan potensi diri kita. Namun di atas segalanya, minta Tuhan nyatakan pada kita kemampuan dan potensi diri kita. Kerana iman percaya Daud pada Tuhan, dia telah mengalahkan singa dan beruang. This is impossible for young shepherd like David. Saya sendiri telah melalui saat-saat mencemaskan berhadapan dengan "singa" dan "beruang" dalam hidup saya. Looking back, I'm so amazed and thankful because God has lead me through all this. Jika kita dapat mengalahkan "singa" dan "beruang" dalam hidup kita, tiada yang mustahil bagi kita mengalahkan "goliat". Just know what your identity in Christ and you will be able to be strong and bold like David.

4) Daud tidak bergantung pada formula dunia untuk berjaya (ayat 38-39

This is an eye opener for me. Daud dibekalkan dengan pedang, baju zirah, baju perang dan ketopong tembaga. Dan perlengkapan seperti inilah yang menjadi "formula" / alat untuk menang dalam peperangan pada waktu itu. Dalam kehidupan kita, untuk berjaya, dunia sudah meletakkan standard bahawa untuk dikatakan berjaya, kita harus kaya, memiliki rumah besar, kereta besar...pokoknya segala-galanya. Kalau mau berjaya mesti sekolah tinggi-tinggi..pegi study oversea..lagilah orang respect. Now, before u go "huuhaa"/stop reading my blog.. Just wanna let you know that I'm not saying education/being rich is bad. What i'm trying to tell here is how some of us (tanpa kita sedari), terperangkap bahkan taksub dengan "formula" kejayaan yang ada didunia sampai kita lupa bahawa ada Tuhan dan adanya janji-janji Tuhan yang harus kita pegang. Sebelum kita berdoa dan tanya TUhan, kita terlelbih dahulu berusaha dengan hikmat kita (kononnya pandai) dan pengalaman dan kemampuan kita untuk mencapai kejayaan..nah, bila gagal dan tidak mau ke mana, baru nangis-nangis cari Tuhan minta Tuhan tolong tunjukkan jalan. Just look at David, dia menanggalkan segala pakaian dan perlengkapan perang kerana that is just not him. That is just not how he is trained. How about u? Apakah perlengkapan perang yang Tuhan sudah bagi dengan anda?

5) Daud menggunakan apa yang dia sudah kuasai (batu dan lastik) ayat 40

CUba bayangkan di medan peperangan, apabila pedang menjadi senjata utama, Daud hanya menggunakan 5 ketul batu kecil dan lastik dan kita tau akhirnya kerna ROh Tuhan ada bersama Daud, dia dapat mengalahkan goliat dengan hanya sebutir batu. Apa "batu-batu kecil" dan "lastik" dalam hidup anda? Mungkin bagi orang lain, apa yang ada pada anda hanya benda yang remeh/yang tiada nilai/tidak mampu melakukan hal-hal yang besar, tetapi percayalah, bila Roh Tuhan ada pada kita, tiada siapa yang dapat melawan kita. Amen!

I want to end this writings with my own testimony. Saya seorang pemuzik....ya pemuzik. Untuk berjaya dalam bidang entertainment, rules nya ialah : NETWORK, TALENT and HARDWORK. Now, HARDWORK dan TALENT saya boleh usahakan. But NETWORK? well, pada mula-mula penglibatan saya dalam dunia entertainment, saya sempat bertanya pada Tuhan, "Tuhan, kalau memang Kau yang mau saya dalam bidang entertainment, biarlah Kau sendiri yang mengangkat saya. Biar kau sendiri yang membuka peluang bagi saya".

Kenapa saya berkata demikian? kerana selalunya, untuk membina NETWORK, masa yang sangat sesuai adalah weekend alias hujung minggu. You have to go to clubs, socialising yourself, marketing yourself, get to know as much entertainment people as you can and do whatever it takes to be known. Nah, inilah ground rules bagi dunia entertainment. Namun yang demikian, saya melakukan sesuatu yang against "formula" dunia. Hujung minggu saya digunakan untuk pelayanan di gereja. Jumaat malam kalau bukan latihan muzik, pasti ada pelayanan lain. Sabtu pula ada latihan untuk hari minggu/perlatihan di gereja dan 6-8pm, RYC service. So, there goes my weekend...digunakan untuk melayani Tuhan di gereja.

Frustrated? Ya, pada mulanya kerana saya terperangkap dengan "formula" keberhasilan dunia entertainment. Nah, akhirnya Tuhan mengingatkan saya bahawa saya harus cari dulu kerajaan-Nya dan kebenaran-Nya maka SEMUAnya akan diTAMBAHkan (bukan diberikan..tetapi diTAMBAHKAN..maksudnya sudah ada...cuma diTAMBAHKAN) kepada mu (Matius 6:33). So, saya belajar untuk setia dalam hal-hal yang kecil. Nah, setelah beberapa tahun..Tuhan membuka peluang, sehingga ke hari ini. Tanpa saya sendiri mencari peluang, Tuhan yang bagi, saya berkesempatan untuk bermain drum untuk Jacklyn Victor, Vince Chong, Juwita Suwito (permanent drummer sampai hari ini) dan beberapa artis lokal bahkan bermain di event-event besar seperti Penang Jazz Festival bahkan ke Gumi, South Korea! Amazing! dan ngomong2....kalau Tuhan buka jalan (sudah ada tiket pun), saya dan jazz band saya akan beraksi di Jarasum International Jazz Festival, South Korea. Puji Tuhan! Dan peluang-peluang yang ada ini bukan kerana saya sibuk-sibuk mempromosikan diri saya dan sibuk keluar masuk bistro / club untuk dapatkan peluang untuk bermain...Tuhan yang bagi. Ramai kawan2 pemuzik yang tertanya-tanya bagaimana saya dapat main untuk artis-artis dan sampai pegi oversea lagi tu, yang saya tau, saya diberkati Tuhan. Yang saya tau, saya dengan setia melayani Tuhan dengan apa yang saya ada. Glory to God. I know what i have, and until now, i still working on how to us it well. How about you?

Contemporary VS Relevant

2009-06-12T14:20:00.001+08:00

Can we be relevant by being contemporary?

Puji Tuhan kerna hingga ke hari ini, Tuhan masih bekerja lewat Relevant Youth Church. Jujur saja, di awal pembentukkan RYC di SIBKL Lake CIty (dulunya SIBKL Chow Kit) saya masih belum menangkap sepenuhnya maksud RELEVANT bagi generasi ini. Yes, it is a process my dear friends..and until today, God has expand the word RELEVANT.
Last time i used to have this image of what a youth church should be : A youth church must have a happening event every week, the music must be really up to date...so the media (media is very important in youth ministry), the youth who serve in youth church also must have the latest fashion update. Why? Because the young generation today is always evolving..they changed. Tatu yang dulunya taboo dikalangan orang-orang kristian, kini mula diterima di beberapa gereja..khusunya gereja anak muda. Bagaimana di RYC? haha...belum ada lagi yang ada tatu..anyway, that is different topic..just don't make any conclusion. What i'm trying to say is, youth these days are evolving, mereka sentiasa mau sesuatu yang baru, mereka cepat boring...selalu haus akan sesuatu yang baru. Now, most of us also flow with them in terms of finding the most updates for our youth ministry. Kita berusaha untuk menjadi youth church yang contemporary...menjadi contemporary tanpa bertanya sama ada perubahan/update tersebut RELEVANT / connect tidak dengan youth kita.
Some example, hillsongs, planet shakers, united, TW...these are the names of influential ministries yang memberi impak pada pelayanan RYC. Now, Tuhan bekerja dengan luar biasa melalui pelayanan mereka namun harus ingat, pelayanan mereka sudah jauh 10 tahun ke depan dari pelayanan youth ministry di malaysia. Selalu kita dibayangi dengan konsert di dewan2 besar, lampu2 spotlight yang canggih, smoke machine, creative dance, sound system canggih with huge subs...pakaian & rambut yang funky2...wow! this is it man! the true image of a succeful contemporary youth ministry. Now, before u start condemning for being sarcastic etc, let me tell you, i'm not against all these..infact, dalam RYC sendiri kami berusaha untuk ada benda2 ni semua. Semua benda-benda tu perlu..tapi bukanlah esensi alias inti, daripada pelayanan youth ministry yang sebenarnya.
If u could ask TW, Planet Shakers etc..mereka bermula awal..lebih awal dari kebanyakan youth church di malaysia yang sedang naik. Mereka bermula dengan beberapa puluh orang youth, tapi disebalik apa yang kita lihat pada hari ini ialah jam-jam doa puasa dan pemuridan yang mereka lakukan beberapa tahun sebelum mereka ada pada hari ini. In other words, mereka terlebih dahulu invest dalam menguatkan dasar mereka...setia dalam hal-hal yang kecil dan hal-hal yang paling utama iaitu doa & puasa.
In RYC we still focusing on building the foundation of the youth..menanam value dan karakter Kristus. As leaders, we're called to raised new leaders...we're called to look after the young souls in our church...setelah anak-anak muda ini bertumbuh, terpulang kepada Tuhan untuk memimpin mereka menemukan panggilan mereka, ada yang jadi musician, singers, ada yang jadi pengkhotbah..ada yang tidak terlibat dalam pelayanan di gereja langsung..so, it's up to God. Kita hanya menanam...jangan dipaksakan. Memang kami akan mengadakan event-event yang menggunakan multimedia yang latest, music yang canggih arrangementnya dll, namun itu bukan hal yang terpenting. Apa la guna kita buat event yang besar dan canggih kalau TUhan sendiri tidak berkenan dengan apa yang kita lakukan?
Berbalik kepada contemporary. Menjadi contemporary tidak semestinya RELEVANT. Example, bila berbicara mengenai MTV, not all our young people watching MTV, eventho it's the "in" thing for the youth today, but in our church, maybe not so "in". EMm..latest fashion..skarang ni skinny jeans is the hippest thing...hahaha...but hey, rata-rata our youth doesn't come from rich family, kita pula youth leaders berusaha memaksa anak-anak muda kita untuk membeli pakaian2 yang up-to-date...akhirnya mereka belanja wang saku mereka di salun untuk event youth kita kerana itulah yang the latest trend but again, bila kita balik ke church masing-masing, adakah kita akan melayani dengan rambut yang funky2 / soundsystem yang canggih dengan lampu2 spotlight yang megah gah gah? Tidak kan? so, striving to be a contemporary youth church is not neccesary relevant.
If u ask me, apalah yang relevant bagi generasi muda kita sekarang? Bagi saya, 1 perkataan, HUBUNGAN. RELATIONSHIP. Vertical + Horizontal Relationship. Hubungan Vertikal (Antara saya dengan Tuhan) dan hubungan Horizontal (antara saya dengan orangtua saya, keluarga, kawan2, pemimpin gereja, komuniti dan orang lain) seperti dalam Lukas 10:27. Bila bahagian ini (RELATIONSHIP) dipenuhi, saya percaya, kita tidak akan memecahkan kepala memikirkan idea-idea yang kreatif untuk menarik youth-youth ini. CUkup mulakan dengan membina jabatan hubungan dengan mereka.
Tanya saja anak-anak muda yang melayani di dalam pelayanan youth anda, tanya hubungan mereka dengan TUhan bagaimana, berapa jam doa & firman mereka dalam seminggu, tanya saja bagaimana hubungan mereka dengan orangtua/keluarga/kawan/gereja/orang di sekitar mereka...rata-rata jawapan mereka di antara gred B - D. Jadi inikah yang ingin kita mau impartasikan kepada anak-anak muda yang kita layani?
Another example, kita mungkin berlatih lagu2 terbaru dari GMB & TW & PLanet shakers, bila kita masuk ke perkampungan orang asli...adakah kita bawakan lagu-lagu yang latest ni? siap dengan intro muzik yang happening dan solo-solo yang mengiurkan? (ni saya tambah2 ja :P) Kamu rasa orang-orang asli ni boleh connect dengan kita kah? Tidak! (mereka lebih minat lagu-lagu joget dan dangdut, pakai gitar kapok pun mereka boleh berjoget sampai pagi...serius!) "Tapi kami membawakan lagu & muzik yang up to date"...well, ini lah yang saya ingin sampaikan, menjadi contemporary tidak semestinya relevant.
Cara TUhan bekerja dan formula UNITED, Planet SHakers, TW & CHC mungkin berkesan bagi gereja mereka namun tidak semestinya berkesan bagi kita. Kita pelajari inti dari pelayanan mereka, bukan meniru bulat2...hey, jangan pandang rendah kemampuan Tuhan! Dia boleh bagi kita idea-idea yang fresh. So, again..Vertical connection enables us to be inspired by God with fresh ideas. SO, let us strive to know how God define RELEVANT in our generation rather than go for what the world say about being contemporary.
I want conclude this, also as a reminder to myself and to my faithful friends in youth leadership, 1 Korintus 10:23 "Segala sesuatu diperbolehkan, Benar, tapi bukan segala sesuatu berguna. Segala sesuatu diperbolehkan, benar, tapi bukan segala sesuatu membangun."

The Giant Killer

2009-06-11T01:38:00.001+08:00

The Giant Killer

Saya pernah melalui saat-saat di mana saya merasa bahawa saya berada di puncak tertinggi dalam pelayanan saya, saya merasa bahawa saya sudah melakukan sesuatu yang besar bagi generasi saya. Memang saya dapat melihat tangan Tuhan memimpin saya ke tempat yang lebih tinggi lagi…saya bersyukur untuk hal ini. Namun, kesombongan mula mengintai di pintu hati saya.

Saya merasakan saya seorang saja yang telah mengalahkan “Goliat” di dalam pelayanan saya. Waktu RYC baru ditubuhkan 2 tahun yang lalu, saya mendapat banyak pujian dan dorongan daripada rakan sepelayanan dan beberapa peribadi yang melihat permulaan yang baik dalam RYC. Ibadah Wake UP! service RYC yang pertama saja mencecah 200 orang! Wow! Saya sudah melakukan sesuatu yang besar! Saya sudah mengalahkan goliath, goliath yang menjadi penghalang pada pertumbuhan anak-anak muda di gereja saya selama ini. Itulah yang saya fikirkan pada waktu itu.

Namun saya akhirnya sedar bahawa bukan Daud saja yang dapat mengalahkan gergasi, ada beberapa orang lain yang Tuhan pakai untuk mengalahkan gergasi-gergasi. Bahkan beberapa tahun kemudian setelah mengalahkan Goliat, Daud dan bangsa Israel berhadapan dengan gergasi-gergasi palestin yang lain. Bahkan ada Daud sendiri hampir-hampir dikalahkan oleh gergasi lain sehingga dia harus ditolong oleh perajuritnya. Jika kita baca dalam 2 Samuel 21:15-22, selain Daud, ada lagi beberapa orang yang telah mengalahkan gergasi-gergasi lain.
Setelah membaca ayat tersebut saya sepertinya mendapat tamparan hebat. Tamparan yang membuat saya merasa diri saya sangat kecil. Saya diremukkan oleh TUhan dan langsung saya bertobat pada waktu itu. Saya merasa bahawa hanya saya, hanya RYC, hanya gereja saya saja yang Tuhan boleh pakai untuk melakukan perkara-perkara besar (sombong bangetttt!).

Sejak hari itu saya mulai sedar bahawa pentingnya setiap orang, setiap pemimpin dari berbagai-bagai gereja untuk melihat setiap mereka sebagai satu tubuh Kristus yang saling melengkapi. RYC memerlukan youth ministry dari gereja-gereja lain untuk memenangkan anak-anak muda bagi Yesus. There’s no one man show here, tiada superman, hanya ada superteam!

Friends, bertobatlah sekiranya anda pernah merasa sombong seperti saya dahulu, we’re not the only one who God can use to do greater things for Him. Bagi yang belum pernah mengalami apa yang saya alami, puji Tuhan, terus hidup dalam kerendahan hati dan setia mengerjakan apa yang Tuhan sudah percayakan.

WAGNER JUNIOR?

2009-06-11T01:35:00.001+08:00

Wagner Junior?

Banyak kesilapan yang telah saya lakukan sepanjang kehidupan saya melayani Tuhan dalam youth ministry, khususnya di RYC, dan saya sedar, saya dapat melayani Tuhan sehingga ke hari ini kerana anugerah-Nya. Salah satu kesilapan yang saya telah lakukan sebagai seorang pemimpin adalah dengan berfikir bahawa saya menjadi pemimpin yang berjaya alias sukses, sekiranya saya menghasilkan beberapa “wagner junior” selama saya menjadi seorang pemimpin.
Dalam kata lain, saya berfikir bahawa saya berjaya sebagai seorang pemimpin sekiranya saya menghasilkan pemimpin-pemimpin yang berfikir seperti saya, membuat keputusan seperti cara saya membuat keputusan, bercakap seperti cara saya bercakap.

Saya lupa bahawa tujuan saya hidup di dunia bukanlah untuk memultiplikasikan imej/gambaran saya, sebaliknya saya dipanggil, kita semua dipanggil, untuk memultiplikasikan gambar Allah. Melalui gaya hidup, cara fikir, cara kita bekerja dan perkataan kita, orang lain dapat tahu bahawa Kristus ada di dalam kita. Tanpa Yesus, tiada satupun dari manusia yang berguna. Tiada satupun yang dihasilkan dari manusia adalah berguna dan sempurna.

Memalukan jika saya terhegeh-hegeh mau memperbanyakkan gambar diri saya, berusaha keras agar pemimpin-pemimpin saya akan selalu mengingati saya dan menyanjungi segala usaha dan pelayanan saya yang pada hakikatnya tidak sempurna sama sekali kalau bukan kerana Yesus. Saya sedar akhirnya bahawa, seorang pemimpin itu sukses bila dia berupaya menghasilkan pemimpin yang menjadi serupa dengan Kristus, dari cara hidup dan cara fikir mereka sama seperti Kristus.

As a youth leader, apa cita-cita kita? Menghasilkan ramai pengikut yang melihat kita seperti sumber segala sesuatu dan bukannya Tuhan? Kita gagal apabila anak-anak muda di gereja kita terlebih dahulu datang kepada kita sekiranya mereka mengalami masalah dan bukannya datang kepada Tuhan terlebih dahulu.

Sebagai kesimpulan, saya ingin youth leaders dan bakal youth leaders yang membaca blog ini sedar bahawa dalam pelayanan kita, biarlah dalam pelayanan kita Yesus menjadi utama, biarlah dalam pelayanan kita nama Yesus dan segala perbuatan-Nya yang banyak diperkatakan oleh anak-anak muda kita.

PERUBAHAN (TRANSFORMATION)

2009-06-10T03:04:00.001+08:00

PERUBAHAN

Masih ingat waktu KKR / church camp / seminar yang kita ikuti dulu/baru-baru ini?selepas altar call, selepas didoakan, selepas menangis pertobatan...lalu apa? Berubah lah kan? Namun, banyak kita, anak-anak Tuhan yang gagal mempertahankan suatu perubahan. Saya sendiri mengalaminya. Jatuh bangun dalam dosa yang sama. Ramai anak-anak muda terjatuh dalam "lubang" yang sama. Here's some quick points i've learned dalam mempertahankan suatu perubahan itu :

1) Memiliki komuniti yang benar (komuniti yang mendorong kepada perubahan)
2) Konsisten dengan hubungan dengan TUhan melalui firman & doa.
3) Berdisiplin secara rohani. Tidak berkompromi dengan dosa.
4) Alert dengan simptom-simptom / tanda2 awal yang boleh memancing kita untuk jatuh dalam dosa yang sama.
5) Memiliki mentor/pemimpin rohani/abang-kakak rohani/bapa-ibu rohani yang menjaga, menegur dan menasihati.

Nothing too hard for our God. Perubahan hanyalah perubahan sampai terjadi suatu perubahan.

Facebook

2009-06-10T00:32:00.001+08:00

Facebook. I can say that Facebook is good in many ways. Imagine this, i manage to contact with my school friends, my secondary school teacher, my old friends and i even manage to making new friends. But sadly speaking, things in Facebook-ing get out of hand at certain time. I'm talking about all the quizes people took in Facebook.

Suprisingly, there's so many...so many quizes in Facebook these days and sad to say, our youth seems to be addicted to it. Even adults. Facebook sudah menjadi tempat untuk orang meluahkan perasaan, emosi, tempat untuk orang mendapat simpati, mendapat penghargaan dari kawan-kawan bahkan dari orang-orang yang tidak dikenali.

Bagi sesetengah orang, Facebook menjadi tempat orang-orang "melarikan" diri sebentar dari dunia realiti. Some people might say that the quizes is just for fun. Well, at first saya pun berfikir bahawa apa salahnya. Memang ada beberapa soalan yang boleh saja dijawab for fun...namun ironinya, ada beberapa quiz yang tidak bermanfaat, yang boleh memudaratkan kerohanian kita, dan quiz2 seperti ini dijawab oleh anak-anak Tuhan...dengan alasan, "just for fun". But this is what i want to share regarding these quizes and all negative effect of Facebook. We might do the quizes "for fun" or because we said "I'm bored". But here's something from the bible that i wanted to quote : 2 Tim 2:16 "Stay away from foolish, useless talk, because that will lead people further away from God." NCV. Some quizes in Facebook is useless, misleading & far from truth. Why are we so eager to do quiz in order for us to know about ourself rather than eager to ask God instead? We do lots of quiz to know how unique we are rather than open the bible and let God open our eyes to see how unique and special we are (Genesis 1:27, Romans 8:29).

Last but not least, instead of answering the quizes which is pointless and untrue, why not we "...seek and set our mind on things above, where Christ is, and not on things on the earth..." Colossians 3:1-2

Sedarlah, jawapan-jawapan yang kita terima hasil dari kuiz yang kita jawab, akan masuk dalam fikiran kita sama ada kita mau / tdk mau, sedar / tdk sedar. Bila tiada pemurnian, fikiran-fikiran ini akan berbuah, dan menghasilkan tindakan. Jika tidak disedari, fikiran-fikiran ini akan melekat dalam diri kita sehingga kita lupa akan kebenaran firman Tuhan.

Sekali lagi, prinsip tabur tuai. Jika kita menabur benih-benih yang baik & yang benar dalam fikiran kita, maka kita akan menuai hal-hal, tindakan-tindakan yang baik, yang benar dan yang berkenan kepada Allah. Facebook is useful, just don't let yourself be abused by it without you realizing it.

MENABUR DENGAN SETIA

2009-06-09T17:39:00.001+08:00

Kita hanya boleh tuai apa yang sudah kita tabur

Mustahil seorang petani menyibukkan diri untuk menuai padi sedangkan dia tidak menabur benih pada awal musim. Mustahil seorang petani dapat menuai hasil yang banyak kalau dia hanya menabur sedikit. Saya masih ingat sewaktu saya dipercayakan untuk memimpin RYC. Saya berdoa agar Tuhan hantar jiwa, saya berdoa agar jemaat RYC mencecah 300-400 orang. Doa-doa saya pada waktu itupun memang menggunung tinggi…meminta Tuhan menghantar banyak anak muda ke RYC.

Namun sehingga ke hari ini, RYC belum pernah mencapai 300 orang pelajar dalam 1 ibadah. Kecewa? Tidak, malahan saya sangat bersyukur pada Tuhan kerana Dia adil & tau yang terbaik bagi saya dan RYC. Mengapa? Kerana Tuhan tau bahawa saya dan pemimpin-pemimpin RYC yang lain belum cukup menabur banyak untuk menuai 300 jiwa.

Tuhan membuka mata saya dan mengubah persepsi saya pada awal tahun ini bahawa bukan kuantiti yang harus saya kejar, namun kualiti. Kuantiti akan menyusul setelah kualiti. In other words, when I invest more on quality of the young people of RYC, the quantity will eventually increase. Kalau saya acuh tidak acuh dalam melakukan pelayanan di RYC, mana mungkin saya dapat menuai jiwa yang banyak pada masa yang akan datang? Kalau saya tidak menginvest waktu yang banyak dalam mementor dan melatih pemimpin-pemimpin youth yang baru, mana mungkin RYC dapat menuai ratusan jiwa-jiwa?
Ada 2 ayat yang ingin saya kongsikan di sini : 2 Korintus 9:6 dan Matius 25:23. Yang pertama berbicara mengenai hukum tabur tuai, yang kedua berbicara mengenai setia dalam hal yang kecil. If u invest more, u’ll get more, jika anda banyak menginvest waktu dalam mementor pemimpin-pemimpin baru, anda akan menuai pemimpin-pemimpin baru yang berkualiti pada masa akan datang. Jika anda menginvest waktu untuk membina hubungan dengan orang-orang di sekitar anda, ada akan menuai suatu hubungan persahabatan yang murni pada masa akan datang.
Secondly, setialah dengan berapa pun talenta yang Tuhan percayakan kepada anda. MEsikpun orang disekitar anda memiliki talenta yang lebih, anda harus tetap setia mengerjakan apa yang Tuhan sudah bagi. Saya belajar untuk setia menjaga jemaat RYC yang berjumlah 100 lebih, jumlah yang kecil jika disbanding dengan youth di gereja lain yang memiliki ratusan jemaat dan selalu pack dengan aktiviti yang menarik. Kerana saya tahu, tidak mungkin Tuhan menghantar jiwa ratusan/ribuan anak muda ke RYC kalau saya dan pemimpin yang lain belum siap & belum setia melayani jemaat yang baru 100 lebih.

Jangan mimpi mau buat youth conference/concert di bukit jalil kalau diri sendiri belum dapat dan konsisten setia berdoa, bersyafaat, menjaga dan follow up jemaat anak-anak muda yang hanya 100 lebih orang. Imagine kalau Tuhan tiba-tiba kirim 500org anak muda ke gereja anda….hah! siapkah anda? Kelam labut dibuatnya…komsel belum mantap, pemuridan belum sistematik…follow up belum lancar..akhirnya jiwa2 yang Tuhan kirim tu tidak terjaga sebaiknya.

There’s something to learn from 2 Corinthians 9:6 and Matthew 25:23. I hope all of us will reap what we sow and be faithful with every little things that God have entrusted us with. Stay blessed.

The BIGGEST LOSER

2009-06-09T17:10:00.001+08:00

The BIGGEST LOSER

One of my favorite TV show on Astro these days is the reality show called THE BIGGEST LOSER. In this show, the grand price would is USD100,000. Nah, beberapa orang contenstant yang mengalami masalah berat badan alias obesity, akan melalui proses pengurangan berat badan melalui latihan fizikal yang intensif dengan bimbingan jurulatih professional.

What interest me is when the contestant really trying hard to lose some weight..as much as possible during the 3 months weight-losing programme. They trying hard to lose the fat, the “ugly” side of them and some also called it “the dark part” of their life. Para peserta harus menyangkal, mematikan keinginan mereka untuk makan makanan kegemaran mereka yang tinggi kalorinya, apatah lagi melakukan senaman yang berat yang hampir membuatkan mereka pengsan dan menyerah kalah. Another thing that makes me wanna watch this show every day is to see the expression of surprise and excitement of their love one when they saw how their partner lose so much weight totally change.

Saya terinspirasi dengan tagline “THE BIGGEST LOSER”. Ia berbicara mengenai penyangkalan diri dan mematikan keinginan daging, in other words, THE BIGGEST LOSER is about losing myself and gaining more of Christ in my life. There’s a verse that says: “Setiap orang yang mau mengikut Aku, dia harus menyangkal dirinya, memikul salibnya setiap hari dan mengikut Aku” Lukas 9:23. “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23
At the end of the season, each contestant losing around 80-100lb i.e 40-50 kg. Bayangkan diri anda menampung berat extra sebanyak 40-50kg sepanjang hidup anda..membuatkan anda susah untuk bersenam, mengalami kesukaran untuk bernafas apatah lagi keyakinan diri yang sangat rendah. Sama halnya dengan sifat kedagingan kita yang kita bawa bersama kita selama bertahun-tahun hidup di dunia. Manusia rohani kita “gemuk” dengan Kesombongan, kebencian, dendam, hawa nafsu, penipuan, percabulan dan macam-macam kedagingan yang lain. Cape gak? (Penat kan?) Akibat “Kegemukan” rohani selama bertahun-tahun, manusia rohani kita tidak aktif, tidak tahan uji, bahkan jantung (hati) kita tidak berfungsi dengan sempurna dan tinggal waktu saja untuk mati dan berbuah bagi maut (Roma 7:5).

Sama seperti fizikal kita, kita harus exercise secara rohani, membuang “lemak-lemak” kedagingan yang melekat pada tubuh rohani kita. Exercise yang bagaimana? Tuhan sendiri yang akan memimpin kita masuk ke Fitness Center- Nya dimana muscle-muscle rohani kita akan dilatih…sehinggalah kita menjadi manusia yang fit…yang dapat menghadapi apapun tentangan hidup.
So, are we becoming the BIGGEST LOSER so far? Atau masih banyak lagi sifat-sifat kedagingan yang ada dalam diri kita? Let us live in repentance and stay focus towards God and run towards the finishing line. Come on, burn those excess fat! Be the BIGGEST LOSER.

Martin and Garcia Burnham

2009-06-09T01:54:00.001+08:00

I was practising my drum strokes in the living room while watching Astro's History channel. That evening was an inspiring evening for me, History Channel is showing a documentary about Martin and Garcia Burnham, along with other civilians who have been taken as hostage by the Abu Sayyaf militant.

Martin and Garcia Burnham are missionary in Philippines. They we kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf in 2001. Their stories really capture my heart. I hope you guys can just read some of the articles about this couple.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/special/burnhams.html

Character (Karakter)

2009-06-09T01:46:00.001+08:00

Charisma / talent can really boost someone all the way up. But most people still didn’t know that it’s our character that make us stay at the top. I’ve seen so many talented young people, good talented musicians, singers, artists and potential leaders…but sadly, some of them fell…some manage to get up, but most of them fell hard and didn’t get up.

Ada beberapa kali saya didatangi oleh beberapa anak muda yang mengkongsikan mengenai cita-cita mereka…ada yang sharing mengenai pengalaman pelayanan mereka namun satu perkara yang selalu saya ingatkan, setidak-tidaknya saya memperingatkan mereka. And that one thing is CHARACTER.

For me, young talented people without good character is like a 50 storey building without a deep strong foundation. Bila-bila masa saja boleh roboh. Salah satu karakter yang paling mudah untuk menghancurkan segala sesuatu adalah kesombongan. “Pride goes before destruction, and haughty spirit before a fall “ Proverbs 16:18 NKJV. “Kecongkakan mendahului kehancuran, dan tinggi hati mendahului kejatuhan.” Amsal 16:18 .

It takes years to build your career, reputation and achievements, but it takes just a matter of seconds, minutes, hours or days to bring down everything if you have a poor character. Here’s some of words of wisdom on Character taken from some of my favorite books & leaders:
· Character is an inner beauty of a human being
· It’s better to be someone who’re useful rather than be someone who’re successful but useless.
· A person’s true character can be seen when no one is looking or analyzing it.
· A wealthy man can buy a big house for himself, he can buy whatever materials his heart desires but he can never buy peace, pure heart, character or even eternal life.
· Pay attention to your character more than your reputation. Character is who you really are while reputation is what people think about you.
· If I look after my character, my reputation will look after itself.
This is one of my favorite verse about young people. Proverbs 22:15 “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of correction will drive it far from him”. Amsal 22:15 “Kebodohan melekat pada hati orang muda, tetapi tongkat didikan akan menusir itu daripadanya.” In the end of the day, no matter how smart or how great we think we are, as young people, we need someone who’re spiritually mature & older than us to guide us and to correct us. God uses other people to shape our character, so we need others as part of our life.

Regular check your character on your character helps you live longer. Stay blessed.

What makes a Leader?

2009-05-15T16:00:00.001+08:00

I've read so many book on leadership from TIm Elmore to Bill HUghes. Even my dad teaches leadership in churches. So, one day i was invited by a church to give a short 2 hour seminar on Youth Leadership. Surprised & amazed by GOd, i accepted the invitation. Quickly i start to stack all my books on leadership near my computer...(not all mine, most of them is my dad's :p). Here i am in front of my pc ready to put all points i can get from the book.

Nothing wrong right? but I was rebuked by the Holy SPirit "what are you gonna impart to the people? knowledge or life?" Wow...i was strucked! mere knowledge or life? I repent..tobat weii..so i put aside the books.....NOT! of course i need the book. Just to refresh what i've learn & what i've done after reading the book. Again i rephrase, what i've learn & what i've done. So, basically during the seminar, i share everything about what i've done (not literally everything, time not enuf to share about God's goodness in my life & RYC).

We preach what we've done, not do what we've preach. So, that morning i brought along some of RYC leaders who'r close to me. I brought them so that they can learn something & they can see whether what i share during the 2 hours is something that i've done or just a knowledge or they might think "Eh, nda pernah pun koko buat mcm tu? cakap ja lebih"...so, in other words, being transparent.

You know, last time i always heard some pastor's or church leader's children give comment on their father's preaching at the back of the church while their father is preaching in front. Well, u guess right! They basically said "he's just saying it in front of the church, but he doesn't do as he says". Wow..imagine, how a leader can impact his/her family's life! SO, friends, leaders, better practice intergrity from now, be transparent, welcome comment & inputs from others...especially the people you lead.

So, here's what i believe & what i've learn about What Makes A Leaders :

Spiritually
Character
Knowledge
Skill
COmmunity
Vision

I'll write more in my next post :) Stay connected with the above, be inspired. God bless.

what inspires me

2009-05-15T15:26:00.000+08:00

I was humbled by how Jesus can touch every single people He met. From the youngest to the eldest. Looking at myself, why can't I? Last time i thought i can only touch those who is significant to my life...like my family, my close friends, RYC, my church. Then i realize that i'm limiting myself from getting inspired by God's creation, the world & every single things that is in it. When u touch someone elses life, it's because u'r initially inspired to do it. From who? from God. Now, God work thru everything for our own good (ROman 8:28) I was inspired by everything in life. This inspiration i receive every single day. I was inspired by people around me, i was inpired by the tv show that i watch, i was inspired by the shopping malls, by the people in my church, i was inspired by an unkown cat & its kitten who have been living at my porch...every thing. I was inspired by just looking at a garbage bin! Amazing! when we open our eyes & ears, it's impossible to miss God's works & message written all around us. DOn't limit ourselves, have you bible as your "glasses" or "binocular" so that you know what to see.

Leaders should inspired the people he/she lead. We as God's children also should inspired the people around us. "let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven" Matt 5:16. If leaders don't inspire, they expired.

Get inspired today!