Michael returns to Perth, God moves amongst family, friends, churches!
Perth, Australia April 21-28, 2011
Michael enjoyed two nights of public meetings at Faith Community Church. This trip was organized and sponsored by two of Michael's cousins, more recently reunited! Through the help of Skype over the great distances and oceans between, Michael has been in touch with these leaders and others in Perth.
Church on Higher Ground
God moved deeply at Church on Higher Ground when they had their annual church camp from April 21-25 2011. The theme, Growing Christian Families, was especially important as many young families were experiencing the transitions that came with the arrival of children. At the same time, the issue of family and Covenant was seen as not limited to the biological family. As Michael ministered , he was impressed that this was a church that knew how to wait on God, had gone through the fire and had great spiritual stamina. It was a wonderful time with a great company of saints.
Michael joins Pastor Billy and Denise Ford in Bouquet Canyon Church
Santa Clarita, California (January 29-30, 2011)
Our longtime friendship and partnership with the Fords has allowed a sharing of ministry between churches. Michael joined their church, Bouquet Canyon Church, for a weekend of renewal. God ministered through the preaching of the Word and prayer. Michael enjoyed fellowship with the Fords who were once a part of our church, Vision Christian Fellowship.
Our Ministry in Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (4-27 August)
In KL, one of the highlights on a personal level, has been to see in each church, people I've pastored formerly, who are now leaders and pastors whom God is using mightily.
KC and his wife Carmen pastor an exciting church in Kajang, about an hour from KL. This was the first time I was visiting this church, and I was moved by the work of God there. KC and Carmen joined the church I was pastoring about 20 years ago. As young Christians, they grew steadily, but it was only when I visited their church 3 weeks ago that he told me that God had healed him of a compressed disc when he first joined my church. He informed me that I had prayed for him one night and and commanded him to jump up and down on the stage, which he did obediently in faith. He had been scheduled for surgery and could not move about except with great pain. That night, God healed him completely, and he never went for that surgery. It's been about 20 years since, and there has been no recurrence of the problem.
I was touched by God's faithfulness as I saw him lead the church that morning, and spent much time praying for people as they came up for prayer. Many of those that they minister to come from violently abusive families, and live in great poverty.
At a church in Selayang, KL, I was very encouraged to see a church doing so well after 8 years of great difficulty. The youth are very on fire and meet, as do the youth in the other FGA churches, on a seperate day, and join the main church for the whole Sunday service.
One of the great joys was to see Jay and his family, who are on-fire pastors of the Tamil-speaking congregation here. They had come to the Lord when I had spoken at a big nightclub(!) in KL. He was the resident DJ, and had come to this new fellowship of mainly staff of the club. We had prayed for a child for them and for God to heal barrenness. One year later, I was holding in my arms a miracle baby as we dedicated her to the Lord. You can imagine what an excitement it was to see her now as a young adult serving as part of the Tamil congregation. This family works very hard night and day, going into the estates to minister to their growing congregation. Here, everyone dresses up for Sunday service, and looks forward to this, the high point of their week.
At Subang Jaya Full Gospel Assembly, a remarkable work has grown to a church of about 430 people. The unique thing about this church is it's focus on raising families The children and youth are very strong in their zeal for their zeal for God and are involved in worship, multimedia and outreach.
Here again, I was surprised to meet Yoo Pong, who became a Christian at one of the churches I pastored. He had just organized and led the first Church Carnival outreach to the community, and when he approached me, he said, " You led me in the sinner's prayer" when I first came to Setapak . I remember him as a young student who had many questions and problems with Christianity when I first met him, but God had answered all his questions, and he never looked back. Now he was a leader in this exciting church.
The bulk of ministry was at the mother church, FGA, KL, where we had a Thriving Families seminar over 2 days, and a Preaching clinic for those who were already preaching. This clinic is part of an ongoing project of training ministers of the Word over a period of time. This is something we would like to do more in the days to come, and represents part of the beginning of the direction of the future.
God moved wonderfully at the Sat/Sunday services and we spent a lot of time ministering to people after the 3rd service especially. One of the joys at the last service was to meet a couple who waited to meet us. They had accepted Christ in March when I had spoken there, and had then come up for prayer because they were in a desperate situation. Now their faces were jubilant and so thankful for what God had done. They could not wait to share with us all that had happened since March!
Our last Sunday was at the church my youngest brother Chu Soon pastors in Kota Damansara. One of the things that have struck me in ministering at these various church plants is the sheer willingness of members to do so much with so little, with great results. Again and again, I am touched by the simple "up-for it-ness" that people with much less training and resources than most Christians exhibit in doing the work of God, the sheer volume of visitation that they do in caring for every member and newcomer.
An interesting constant we saw as we talked to people in Malaysia throughout the trip was the great concern that they had for the spiritual climate and direction that the US seems to be experiencing currently. As they read the newspapers, they are eager to know how the church is rising up to the challenges it faces in the light of resurgent Islam (btw, they think Americans are naive with respect to this), as well as the shift in values and spirituality.
As we settle down to life in the States again, I am more convinced than ever that our only hope lies in being a people who are prepared for the days to come by growing in the things that God is focusing us in. More and more, I find unconvincing, the conventional wisdom of political orthodoxy and its Christian incarnations that lack spiritual light, and merely follow popular convention. In all this, there is a WORD that must not only be spoken, but embodied by us. I am sure that God is working to prepare us for such a time.
The First Part of Michael's Trip: Australia
Greetings from Malaysia,
We are about to enter our last week in Malaysia, and I thought that it would be good for me to share with you some of things that God has done these past 4 weeks in Perth and in KL. I am sending this update in 2 parts. The first is on the Perth trip. I will be sending the second part on the KL trip soon after.The first part is a short log on the meetings in Perth as they were happening:
Began my first night of ministry in Australia last night. The Lord moved powerfully and there were many words of knowledge that ministered sharply to those who attended. It was a great time of ministry that will conclude tonight (the second night) with the same group of people. Lots of very serious bondages and serious needs -divorce, bankruptcies, sicknesses etc. But last night the Lord was very present to identify the needs. People from several countries who have suffered much. White people from Zimbabwe whose property had been taken forcibly by the Mugabe sponsored mobs, etc. Perth is a very international city with migrants from many countries-SEAsia, Europe, Africa, South Asia. (7/28)
Second night of meeting: crowd grew from 20 to 35. People very responsive and hungry. Stayed up till late praying for people. Hard things have been happening. Perth has been known to be a hard place. Yet great excitement is building in the crowd. (7/29)
Third day: Men's lunchtime meeting. About 20 men, some who came for more from the previous series of meetings. God ministered and several speak of how they have been met by God on the issues they are facing. I sense a great hunger has been stirring these past days. Many are wanting to know my itinerary so that they may receive more.
Evening: At Church on Higher Ground. Here, God moved powerfully again. Apparently people from several other churches came to this meeting, and the idea of thick time and thin time is really catching on. The dynamics of prayer and breakthrough are what many are latching onto, because although much has been taught on prayer, not a lot of the dynamics and inner workings of praying after the spirit are talked about. Interesting that in personal conversations with people, there is such a hunger that some are recording our conversations. Have sold all 40 copies of "Healing Your Internal Clock" People are asking for more(7/30)4th day: A gathering of people from about 4 different churches plus friends. This is a group not connected with the groups of the first 3 days. Well established people, mostly with grown up children and have done well in their careers. Many church leaders. People have been finding my itinerary and joining in. There was not enough space and new rooms had to be opened up for more people. Again God spoke to the needs of the people and I see a great hunger what what God has been teaching us in VCF. Incidentally, met some old classmates from college there whom I've not seen for about 30 years. Great reunion! (7/31)
...Michael
Click here for more on dramatic evening service
Healing Your Internal Clock @ VCF
Annual Fall Conference @ Forest Homes, CA Vision Christian Fellowship had its annual Fall Conference at Forest Homes between October 8-10. The theme of the conference was "Healing Your Internal Clock". 120 people were present at the conference, and from the feedback we are receiving, God moved deeply and powerfully among those who were there. Many shared that the word that God was speaking through the sessions was meeting them, finding deep resonances with their experiences. It has been a great joy to see the way that God has brought VCF so far in these past 3 years. The strength, evangelistic zeal, health, love, godly focus, and the depth of spiritual life have been especially evident in recent years.It is evident that God is transforming us not into the church of the First Century, but the last century - the century when Christ appears. The emergence of leadership of quality, the general strength of the Body and the willingness to be exercised in love and service has been widespread throughout the church, and has only emerged with force in these past 3 years. "The Lord has done great things and it is marvelous in our eyes".
If you are interested in hearing the messages online, click online messagesto listen. And, please join us at VCF, 1555 E. Colorado Blvd, in Pasadena, CA on Sunday at 10am!
Thriving at Work
It may come as a surprise to you, but God intends for you to thrive at work. Not only that. Actually, our work, business, vocation and profession are the very places that God has called us to, in order for His purposes for creation to be fulfilled.
The lives of Joseph, and Daniel and his 3 friends provide models of thriving under trying conditions, amidst injustice, oppression, and a lack of natural belonging. We see from their stories, that the people of God, though clearly true to their covenant with God, could be moved into the places of politics, civil government, economics, secular learning, endless cultural complexity, even ungodliness, and rise to their destinies, and find their calling far away from the centers of spiritual life.
For those who are in transition, those who continually ask the question, "What is my call" in the midst of work, this is a seminar that just may change your life.
