עמסיה amasiah

Time flies! In the flurry of examinations, job switches, planning, work, projects and datelines, it has been an eventful period of six months since the beginning of 2008.

With that, it seems all so fast and the Ipswich life group will be starting in just over one month! And to kick it off, the team will be holding a “Meet the Team!” session during the ‘Community Church Conference’ that is happening this weekend.

For more details, please refer to the e-Invite below:

recharge!
With so many things are happening, I must admit that yet again, I have been feeling the stress with it all, and especially for having whacked my rythm out of sorts! I had a look at my calendar for the past few weeks; what I saw astounded even myself!

I am expecting so much more to happen in the second half of 2008, and so is the team! Time to get recharged!

I must say that, as I sit here in my room trying to organise my thoughts, a lot of the thoughts that are flying across the room revolves around the recent decision to move to Ipswich. It was not an easy decision to say, “Yeah, sure. I’ll go.”; neither was this ever in my itinerary while I am in Australia; nor was it easy to let go all that I am familiar with over here in Brisbane.

driving on ice
I chanced upon the feature article Driving on Ice by Andy Stanley in the latest issue of the Catalyst Groupzine—aptly titled Courageous in Calling—just the other day as I was browsing through my small library that definitely needs much more of my attention and time.

Andy Stanley is the lead pastor of North Point Community Church in Atlanta, Georgia. He is the bestselling author of Visioneering, The Next Generation Leader, The Best Question Ever, and the recent It Came from Within.

In this article, Andy touched on five expressions of courage that every Christian leader must embrace. As I looked into the article again, I began to see much more of myself in each of the area. Not so much as I see myself with those expressions, but more so the need for or the lack of such expressions.

I shall try to attempt to draw out the characteristics of these expressions of courage here.

courage to challenge the status quo
Leaders are those who love progress and are discouraged when they are faced with the prospect of being stuck in an environment where progress is impossible. Accepting the status quo and living with things as they are is not an option for a leader.

Courageous leaders are those who would rather challenge what needs to change and pay the price than remain silent and slowly die inside.

Leaders are the ones who find themselves in the precarious career-jeopardising position of drawing attention to the need for change, having the courage to act on what they see, to speak up when everyone else is silent. This sets the leader apart from the crowd.

As leaders, they are the ones who must ask the people to follow them to places where the people and the leaders themselves have been before.

courage to embrace your fear
Leading into the future conjures up feelings of uncertainty, angst, risk of being wrong, and more. It is the response of the leader that determines in a large part whether or not you will be called to lead. Many who lack the courage to forge ahead yearn for someone to take the first step to show the way.

Leaders are not always the first to see opportunities; they are simply the first to seize them. They recognise that courage is not the absence of fear, but it assumes fear. Failure is something a leader can live with; it is easier for them to live with the prospect of having tried and failed than not having tried at all. Leaders know that the best way to ensure success is to take chances.

While the average man or woman fears stepping out into a new opportunity, the leader fears missing out on a new opportunity.

A leader leads by taking risks—risks that requires courage.

courage to say no
Every leader must come to acknowledge and recognise that there will always be more opportunities than there is time to pursue them. Refusing to choose from these opportunities carefully dilutes efforts. Refusing to say no eventually robs leaders of their ultimate opportunity: the opportunity to play to their strengths.

Don’t allow the many good opportunities to divert your attention from the one opportunity that has the greatest potential.

The hallmark of great leadership is the ability to identify and focus on the few necessary things. Learn to say no. The lack of focus will eventually translate into a lack of vision, and people are not able to follow when the vision is fuzzy.

courage to face current reality
Leaders must be willing to face and embrace current reality, regardless of how discouraging or embarrassing it may be; to be relentless in finding the truth about what is happening around you; to make it your habit to root out misinformation and refuse to reward those who deliver this misinformation. In doing so, a culture that is healthily transparent about what is and what is not taking place will be created.

Jim Collins says, “Leadership does not begin just with vision. it begins with getting people to confront the brutal facts and to act on the implications.”

Facing current reality is often nasty, but always necessary. As a leader, be willing to face the truth regardless of how painful it might be. And when you do not like what you see, change it.

courage to dream
Every great accomplishment began as a dream, and dreaming requires courage. For on the heels of every dream is the dream of doubt. It is impossible to lead without a dream; somewhere in all those random ideas that flood your mind will be one that captures your heart and imagination—that seemingly random idea that may very well evolve into a vision for your life and leadership.

If you allow fear to overshadow your dreams, you will never try anything new or create anything new.

A next generation leader must dream about what could be and should be, allowing the mind to wander outside the boundaries of what is and begin to create a mental picture of what could be. Sounds familiar? If you do, you will remember the quote by Dr Martin Luther King Jr. that I mentioned in one of my earlier post “God-wards“

embrace and be driven
Embracing these five expressions of courage will enable you to have the foundation you need to leverage the opportunities God brings your way and provide you with the traction you need to maximise your potential.

“Am I willing to challenge the status quo?”

“Do I have the ourage to embrace my fears?”

“Am I willing to say no to the good opportunity for the sake of the one with the greatest potential?”

“Do I have the courage to face and embrace current reality?”

“Am I willing to allow my mind to wander outside the boundaries of what is and begin to create a mental picture of what could be… to dream?”

We all have one shot and one shot only to leave a lasting legacy—a definitive mark on this world that reflects our decision to lean into, not away from, our areas of holy discontent. A legacy that says, “I have been trusted to carry God’s message of hope to an aching, fractured world in need, and I refuse to rest until my role in that is fulfilled.”

Bill Hybels
Holy Discontent: Fueling the Fire that Ignites Personal Vision

Of all the authors that I have come across so far, not that there are many though, I am most attracted to the writing style of Bill Hybels. He is probably one of a handful of authors that I am inspired by. Sadly, given that I am also a slow reader, I have only managed to read a handful of his books.

Bill Hybels is the founding and senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, USA. He has authored over twenty books, including Fit to Be Tied and Rediscovering Church (with his wife Lynne), Too Busy Not to Pray, Courageous Leadership, The Volunteer Revolution, and Just Walk Across the Room.

Here I am sitting here in the lounge when I thought that I would put up some of the quotes that have kept me going at the beginning of my walk with God. At that time, I had to struggle so much even as to pick myself up, and these quotes helped me through.

“If we develop a relationship with God apart from our life circumstances, then we may be able to hang on when the physical reality breaks down. We can learn to trust God despite all the unfairness of life.”
Douglas as quoted by Philip Yancey

“I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good. I don’t want to cut off a branch here and a branch there, I want to have the whole tree down.”
C S Lewis

“Without somehow destroying me in the process, how can God reveal Himself in a way that would leave no room for doubt? If there were no room for doubt, there would be no room for me.”
Frederick Buechner

It would seem like a new phase is about to start in this journey—a phase that I had not counted on coming to pass at this point in my life. However, it is a change that I believe will bring me closer to God, and one that I will be able to see God’s blessings over the people who chose to go after the calling He has placed in their lives.

Martin Luther King Jr. said during his acceptance speech when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize at the University of Oslo in 1964:

“I refuse to accept the idea that the ‘is-ness’ of man’s present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal ‘ought-ness’ that forever confronts him.”

is-ness
It is amazing how often I can be enthralled by my circumstances and my logic, such that I always overlook the simple fact that God is simply able. Such circumstances as financial aspirations, career considerations, lifestyle sacrifices, character inadequacies can often present so many layers of logic and reasoning, or perhaps a better word to use here would be excuses, so much so as to incapacitate the ability to move fowards. That being said, I am not saying that all concerns should be thoughtlessly cast to the winds. That would be totally irresponsible.

Over the last few months, it had not been easy, but it was a time where there was much growth and knowledged gleaned. Juggling university, work and ministries is quite the handful; however, trying to do so on an intensive level is definitely something that I would not subject myself to any more. Not only was my physical and mental health heavily affected, I felt myself being drawn away from God steadily. It was truly a humbling process to step back and assess all that I was doing, to finally admit that this was not something I want and slowly taking steps to come back to Him.

On another note, during that same period, I was presented with a consideration that I would never have considered in the past (I shall talk more about this when more details have been finalised). Despite having made a decision early on, it did not settle that well within me; it was a decision based on logical reasoning and that which I have come to realise stems from a selfish desire. And as I struggled for clarity and assurance, I was presented with the various aspects of the Heart of God—the very thing that burns within the very heart of mine—time and again.

ought-ness
And so, I made my decision earlier this week (as mentioned previously, I will talk more of this at a later date). I felt the peace of God within my heart and the assurance from God that He will take care of everything. I believe I also felt the excitement that there will be so much that God is going to show me; I can only wait in anticipation!

In the past year, I have come to realise that the calling God has on my life is so much more than I had originally thought it to be. Much of my original revelations and thinking have been brought to a new and higher level of faith expectations.

changes
With nine days into the month of May, my state of emotions continues to extend in the realm of excitement. Over the next few months, there will be so many changes. These changes are so going to affect so many different areas of my life that I do not know how I am going to handle them.

“Will I be able to get a new job soon?”

“Where is God going to lead me?”

“How are these changes going to affect me and those around me?”

So many questions… So much feelings… One answer.

Amasiah.

“For a musician to make history, he needs not only talent, but also important encounters with people.”

Before I go on with this entry, I would just like to thank a number of people who have had been crucial in my journey this year, especially for helping me go through all those valleys and caves. If not for you guys, I would probably have given up. Thank God for you!

Caitlyn, thank you for putting up with all my random remarks. And especially for listening! Now, let us continue to stay off the blonde jokes eh?

Chris, you get a special mention hey! Thank you for being there, bro. I owe you so much. Seriously.

Gin, you don’t know how much you have really helped in carrying me through—truly! Love ya so much, my dearest brother!

Sam K, thank you for your support!

Once again, I have left my blog aside for so long. Actually, I should say that it is more like I just avoided blogging. It had been a difficult year—much like being caught in the middle of a scale 10 typhoon.

torn
I was brought up in a Christian family where we would ‘faithfully’ attend church every Sunday. Until I was about fifteen. Due to a number of reasons, I walked away from God. For the next twelve years, I indulged in the world before coming back to God.

In the space of those twelve years, I had taken up so many different lifestyles—smoking; drinking; gambling; new age indulgence including wiccan, tarot, etc; and others—and almost got myself charged with a felony. There were also periods of depression, which eventually led me thinking about life. I thank God for His mercy and grace that He brought me back, even after I had challenged Him to do so. It was this experience of the prodigal son that led me make a promise of full-time ministry to God.

Over the last few years, I had the privilege of helping out and eventually working part-time in the church here in Brisbane. It is great serving God in this manner. As time goes by, I began to reconsider this. There may be other things that are affecting my decision in this aspect, but I know my decision and heart is still for God. So here I am, torn between deciding to step out of the church into the commercial industry to gain experience so that I can launch overseas and continuing to work in the church.

It is not easy as I sought God in this matter. I will honour God in however manner He leads me because I know that I have His peace in me.

grandma
In July, I flew back home because my grandmother was seriously ill. After two weeks, her condition seemed to improve and I flew back to Brisbane. Over the next couple months, her condition gradually worsened, and she passed away in September. I remember the sequence of events in the eleven days leading to her passing, and I can clearly see the hand of God working.

The Thursday before my citizenship ceremony, I applied for a credit card in anticipation of the expenses of air-fare and my passport processing fees. The next day, I got approval for it even without having to present any documents. In the afternoon of my citizenship ceremony on Monday, I got the credit card package, which I activated over the next couple days. This was just in time to apply for my passport on Thursday. The following Monday, my passport was issued and sent from the passport office.

On Tuesday morning, I had booked my air-ticket for Thursday. Later in the afternoon, I got a message from home that the condition of my grandmother was critical. However, because no one was home when the passport was deliver, I could only change my flight to Wednesday morning after collecting it. Once the final confirmation was made, I got to know that she had passed on.

Although I was unable to see her for one last time, I know that she is back with God. And without God’s hand in the sequence of events, I would not have been able to get the financing, passport and flight back. Thank God for His precise timeliness!

journey
These are a couple of what had transpired over the last ten months, and how God has been evident in my life. Praise God! And even though there are more things to work out, I know He is there.

This is another of the albums which I bought when I was in Singapore – ‘Beautiful News‘ by Matt Redman. Like the ‘Rush of Fools’ album, I had no idea how the album would turn out at the time I bought it, and I must say I love it!

If You Know You’re Loved If you know you’re loved by the King, Then sing, sing, sing! If you know you’re loved by the King, Live for Him! Live for Him! Forgiven and free, How could I not sing?

Simple eh?

The last few months has been really trying, and over the last few weeks, it reached a point where I realised that if I am at that point of desperation. I felt so broken! As I chose to sought God away from Brisbane over the weekend, I began to realise the process of which I am going through. And though it hurts so much, this brokenness and reconstruction process reminded me once again how much I needed God as I sought this heart of His.

Amasiah.

Sustained by God.

This is the lyrics of yet another track from ‘Rush of Fools‘! As the band put it themselves, it is only through God’s grace and mercy that we are able to put each of our steps forwards in this journey – a journey which sometimes drains us so much; a journey where God is the one and only hope.

Your Love As believers, we often find ourselves living this song, being far away from where we need to be. As Rush Of Fools, we too often find this to be true in our personal spiritual journeys. Though we’re called to be holy, we find ourselves in need of much grace to make through the day. But with that said, we must remember that we’ll never arrive to the standards of our calling. Thus, we live gripped by the humility of God’s grace to carry us through each and every day of our journey. Our only hope is found in the gospel, and even when we want to give up, God’s goodness and mercy brings us through. verse 1 I’m so far away From the only place I know I should be So find me And take me chorus Come and light the day Come chase away this darkness And I’ve been living here so long And I give up Come and wash away Everything I’ve built between us And I will sing unending songs of your love verse 2 I cannot find rest I can’t catch my breath From running away So stop me And take me bridge Your love has stolen my heart Your love has set me apart Your love is life in my veins And all my mistakes fade away So find me And stop me And take me

During the time I was back in Singapore, I managed to get my hands on the debut album of ‘Rush of Fools‘. Me being me, I just bought the disc and left it to casual listening, not having the time to listen to it intently – until this past weekend. Having decided to take time out to head to the coast for the weekend to get away, I have had the time to really listen to the tracks on the album. I believe this band really has something good going. Seriously.

Can’t Get Away We are small. God is great. That sums up the idea of this cheerful chorus. Every path we take in our lives is apart of the divine providence of God. We are surprised by unexpected events, whether good or bad. God is not. That is a beautiful thing to know, and it gives us a security and a hope that everything will work out, just as Romans 8:28 explains. This song speaks of how being small makes us like the beggar, helpless on our own. We need God more than we’re willing to admit. No matter how far or how hard we try to run from God, we simply can’t get away from His irresistible grace. verse 1 I am an arrow, I am a rocket I am a river and nothing can stop it Cause You are the target and You are the atmosphere You are the ocean that keeps pulling me You’re pulling me here chorus And I, can’t get away, can’t get away Can’t get away, can’t get away I can’t get away, can’t get away I keep running into You verse 2 I am a beggar, You are the table I am so helpless, God You are so able And when I get turned around You change my direction You’re so perfect, I’m so broken Here You come with arms wide open Chasing after me down every road You’re always waiting there bridge Even when I close my eyes, I can’t help but see There’s no place that I can hide, You’re such a part of me I can’t get away cause I keep running into You I can’t get away…

There have been quite a bit of thinking over the last few weeks. And I am tired of what seems to be efforts that in the end reverts back to square one. It just takes too much out of me, especially having given all I can.

The thought of dropping everything seems much more enticing nowadays.